Blog Entry #3

     Every time I ride a bike, I experience cognitive dissonance.  I don't ride one very often, but when I do, I don't wear a helmut.  Yes, it is the right thing to do and I do know that it could prevent me from serious injury if an accident were to occur.  BUT, O never wear helmut because it "looks stupid."  That is honestly why I don't.  In the long run, who cares if it looks stupid.  Even though I truly know it is the right thing to do, I don't and I always experience that "feeling of discomfort" because my beliefs are not matching up with my actions.
     I also have a serious shopping addiction.  When I am at home or at school, I will usually go shopping at least once or twice a week and 90% of the time, buy something.  Now, I do work a lot during the summer so I have money that I could spend but I know that I should really be saving it.  Every time I buy something, I experience cognitive dissonance and try to justify my behavior.  I take part in internal justification, trying to convince myself, "oh, it was on sale, its okay that you bought it."  Most of the time the justification of my behavior and actions works, but sometimes I end up returning it.
     The other day I experienced the "c" part f the ABC's of attitudes.  I was drinking "0 calorie" gatorade and I told my roommate that I didn't understand how there is 0 calories in it, its sweet.  She said there actually isn't (being the kinesiology major and in nutrition class) she proceeded to tell me how there really are calories.  My attitude towards the drink turned from positive to negative.  I just did not want to drink it or buy it anymore.  During this scenario, I was experiencing a cognitive attitude, how I thought about the gatorade completely changed throughout the conversation.    

Blog Entry #2

    As I have gone through high school and off to college, I have gained a greater self-concept about myself.  I have learned that I am an independent person but enjoys being around people.  I have become self-aware that I am a very determined individual who will work hard to achieve what I want to achieve.  I still have learning that I have to do about myself, once I graduate college and start working in the "real world."  I believe that my self-concept may never be complete.  Throughout my life I am going to learn more and more about myself through others and simply through introspection.  Examining my thoughts and feelings as I continue to go through life will give me insight into the type of person I am.      
    As a psychology major, we all know that you have to participate in research studies for various classes.  I had to participate in some for gpsyc, sensation and perception, and research methods.  When you participate in them, (the "tasks") the researcher is not "grading" you on how well you are completing the task, they just need the data for their experiment.  Participating in these studies for class credit, regardless of how well you do, is an example of task-contingent rewards.  On the other hand, I used to run cross country in high school and we would race every week.  If you ran well, and came in the top 10% of the race, you would receive a medal.  This is an example of performance-contingent reward.  Run well-->receive medal.  I believe that both of these types of rewards are a successful way to have others complete tasks, one is usually more appropriate in situations than the other.