You Will Need To Recruit A Friend Or Acquaintance To Assist

You Will Need To Recruit A Friend Or Acquaintance To Assist You With T

You will need to recruit a friend or acquaintance to assist you with this assignment. This individual should be a person who has no formal training in psychology (i.e., has not taken a psychology course or received some other form of training on the topic). Ideally, this person will have the opportunity to make a behavioral observation along with you. That way, you are both witnessing the behavior in real time, under the same conditions and circumstances. Be sure to explain this assignment to your friend ahead of time and get permission to use her/his input in your write-up.

Over the next few days, your task is to pay attention to your behavior and the behavior of others around you. You are looking for situations and interactions that you and a friend can collectively observe and then discuss, interpret, and analyze together. Your friend will provide the perspective of the “casual observer” (i.e., the average person). You will provide the perspective of the “social scientist” and use the information you have learned in this course (i.e., psychological terminology, principles, concepts, and/or theories) to explain what you have witnessed. Focus on observations related to topics covered earlier in the course.

Your behavior observation will be referred to as your “case study.” Once you and your friend have completed the observation, you will write a “case study write-up” that includes the following: 1) Date of the behavioral observation; 2) Location of the case study; 3) A brief Case Description with detailed, behavior-focused information while avoiding personally identifying details; 4) Casual Explanation from your friend describing their interpretation of the observed behavior; 5) Psychological Application where you analyze and interpret the behavior using course concepts and appropriate psychological terminology, incorporating at least one academic source outside of your textbook; 6) A comparison and contrast of the casual explanation and the scientific analysis, highlighting similarities, differences, and what you learned from examining different perspectives.

The write-up should be 2-3 pages, double-spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins. It must include a full reference list for the academic source cited in APA style. Your assignment must include the observation, the written analysis, and the citations of the sources used. Carefully review the grading rubric to ensure all criteria are addressed.

Paper For Above instruction

The activity of observing everyday behavior and analyzing it through both casual and scientific lenses offers valuable insights into human psychology. This exercise bridges subjective interpretations with objective scientific understanding, highlighting how different explanations shape our comprehension of behavior. In this paper, I detail an observational case, the casual explanation provided by my friend, my analytical application grounded in course concepts, and a comparative discussion emphasizing the differences and similarities between these perspectives.

Case Observation Details

On a sunny afternoon at a local café, I observed a young woman interacting with her smartphone while seated alone at a corner table. She appeared to be engrossed in a messaging app, frequently glancing at her phone and smiling. Periodically, she would shift her posture, take a sip of her drink, or adjust her phone position. No other individuals directly interacted with her during this period, but several patrons passed by, occasionally glancing at her. The observation lasted approximately fifteen minutes, capturing her non-verbal cues, facial expressions, and interactions with her device.

Casual Explanation

My friend, who acted as the casual observer, described her perception of the behavior as someone simply enjoying some leisure time or perhaps engaging in social communication. She suggested that the woman might have been texting a friend or scrolling through social media to pass the time. Her interpretation was that this behavior was a typical form of relaxing alone, with the woman possibly feeling happy, entertained, or connected through her phone. She emphasized that, to her, this looked like a common activity for someone taking a break in a public space, with no deeper implications beyond personal leisure.

Psychological Analysis

From a social psychological perspective, several concepts can explain this behavior more systematically. The woman's engagement with her smartphone could be seen through the lens of social identity theory and the need for social connection (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Despite being physically alone, her smartphone serves as a tool for maintaining social bonds, reducing feelings of loneliness, and fulfilling the human need for social validation. This aligns with the concept of social compensation, where individuals use digital platforms to compensate for social deficits in face-to-face interactions. Furthermore, her behavior exemplifies passive leisure activity, which can be a form of escapism or mood regulation (Kross et al., 2013). The non-verbal cues—smiling and frequent glancing—support the idea that she is emotionally engaged, perhaps experiencing enjoyment or distraction.

Research indicates that smartphone use for social connectedness is deeply rooted in psychological needs for belongingness (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). As a result, such behavior reflects underlying motivations related to social inclusion and emotional well-being. The context—public space during leisure time—further suggests that her behavior is influenced by situational factors such as available free time and social norms around technology use in social settings.

In addition, her behavior may be interpreted through the lens of technology's role in self-presentation. The constant interaction might be a way to curate a positive impression or maintain social status, as suggested by Goffman's dramaturgical model (Goffman, 1959). She may be projecting an image of being socially active, connected, and engaged, even if her activities are private or solitary.

Applying these psychological principles highlights that her behavior is multifaceted, driven by innate needs for social connection, mood management, and self-presentation, with technology serving as a facilitator for these pursuits.

Comparison and Contrast

The casual explanation offered by my friend centered on simple leisure and normal social activity, suggesting that her behavior was just a common, innocuous way to spend time alone. In contrast, my scientific analysis viewed her behavior as a manifestation of underlying psychological needs, including social belonging, emotional regulation, and self-presentation. My explanation involved specific theories and research, such as social identity theory and the role of technology in fulfilling psychological needs, which provided a deeper, more nuanced understanding.

While my friend focused on observable cues and typical social behaviors, I incorporated theoretical frameworks and empirical research to interpret the behavior beyond surface-level impressions. This difference underscores how everyday explanations often emphasize external or situational factors, whereas scientific perspectives seek to uncover internal motives and psychological mechanisms. It also teaches that casual attributions can overlook complex internal processes that drive behavior.

From this exercise, I learned that integrating scientific theories into everyday observations enriches our understanding of human behavior. It reveals the importance of considering multiple factors—such as psychological needs, social contexts, and individual differences—when analyzing actions, rather than relying solely on surface-level impressions.

References

• Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497–529.
• Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Anchor Books.
• Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., ... & Ybarra, O. (2013). Facebook use predicts declines in subjective well-being in young adults. PLOS ONE, 8(8), e69841.
• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33-47). Brooks/Cole.
• Additional peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to social psychology and technology use.