Social

Have you ever traveled to a different country and found yourself lost or fascinated by the differences in how people are expected to act? These differences are called social norms. These norms vary widely from one part of the world to another, giving each culture its unique flavor and identity. But what exactly are social … Read more

Have you been hearing the term “woke” or “wokeism” in the news lately and wondered to yourself, “What does woke even mean?”. In this article, we aim to provide a complete understanding of the concept of being “woke” without causing offense or controversy. A woke person is someone who actively recognizes and challenges racial or … Read more

Why do we feel obligated to return what we have been given from others? Why do we feel that we must accept the kindness of strangers and pay them back? The answer is a concept called the norm of reciprocity. Reciprocity dictates the way that we accept favors and ultimately give them back. Other factors … Read more

Let’s talk about code-switching. You might have done this without knowing it. You might do it after you leave this room or pick up the phone. Code-switching is the process of switching from one linguistic code to another. Sometimes, this is speaking in a different language entirely. You might start to speak in Spanish so … Read more

Psychology studies the individual mind, but the interaction of multiple minds in social groups is also important to psychologists and how humans behave. Let’s define what a “social group” is and what types of social groups you might interact with every day.  What Is A Social Group? Some of the important factors that make a … Read more

No matter who you vote for or where you live in the country, I think we can all agree that we live in a divided nation. But there isn’t just one divide. There’s racial divides, political divides, and the divide between people who live in urban areas and those who live in rural areas. I’m … Read more

“Gender is a social construct.”  “Race is a social construct.”  Maybe you’ve heard these phrases in arguments online. It’s usually accompanied by the ideas that we should change our traditional views on these subjects.  But this article isn’t about gender or race specifically. It’s going to be about social constructs: what they are, how they’re … Read more

“Stop comparing yourself to other people.”  Have you ever heard this advice before? It’s pretty good advice, but not easy to follow. As soon as you open Instagram or Facebook, you may immediately compare your current situation to the photos you see. Your friend is relaxing on the beach. Your cousin is sharing the map … Read more

In Milgram’s Obedience experiment, participants delivered deadly electric shocks simply because they were told. In the Stanford Prison Experiment, participants got violent with each other, even though they were in a simulation that was meant to last only a few days. Outside of social psychology experiments, we have witnessed people do unimaginable and questionable things. … Read more

Although we may try our best, we are all guilty of prejudgement and stereotyping. Knowing what these practices are, and why we engage in them, is one of the first steps to making more informed and unbiased decisions. Prejudice vs. Stereotype Prejudice is an attitude. Stereotype is a belief. Both prejudice and stereotypes are often … Read more