tagged w/ Social Psychology
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"Popular kids — except those at the absolute top of the social ladder — are most likely to act aggressively toward other kids, a new study finds.
It isn't aggression that makes kids more popular. But becoming more popular makes kids more aggressive, said study author Bob Faris, a sociologist at the University of California, Davis — suggesting that those kids see tormenting others as a way to gain and cement status.
Faris and his co-author, Diane Felmlee, reviewed a study that followed eighth-, ninth- and 10th-graders in North Carolina over a year.
"For the most part, we find that status increases aggression," Faris told LiveScience.
"For some people, that will be a surprise. For other people who have grown up quoting 'Mean Girls,' it might be an 'Oh, duh' kind of revelation," he added, referring to the 2004 comedy about a clique of vicious but popular high school girls.
After controlling for variables known to influence aggression — including dating activity, sports participation, grade-point average, socioeconomic status and physical development — the researchers found that students who were more central in their social networks were also more aggressive. Network centrality is a bit more complex than popularity: It means that a kid has not only a lot of friends, but a lot of friends who are also socially prominent. These school-age movers and shakers have a lot of social power among their peers, Faris said.
The gradual increase of aggression with popularity continues until you reach the top 2 percent of popular students, Faris said. At that point, aggression suddenly drops off. The top 2 percent are even less aggressive than the kids at the very bottom of the heap, Faris said.
"We can't preclude the possibility that kids at the very top are just somehow really different, that they're incredibly nice and everybody loves them," Faris said. But other evidence suggests that these extremely popular kids are just secure enough in their positions that they don't need to be aggressive anymore, he said. Another, soon-to-be published study by Faris found that the more kids care about popularity, the more aggressive they are, suggesting it's a tendency toward social-climbing that triggers bullying behavior."
http://www.livescience.com/culture/popularity-increases-aggression-110208.html"Popular kids — except those at the absolute top of the social ladder... more
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Finally, an explanation for the naysayers...or not.
Suppose a close friend who is trying to figure out the facts about climate change asks whether you think a scientist who has written a book on the topic is a knowledgeable and trustworthy expert. You see from the dust jacket that the author received a Ph.D. in a pertinent field from a major university, is on the faculty at another one, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Would you advise your friend that the scientist seems like an "expert"?
If you are like most people, the answer is likely to be, "it depends." What it depends on, a recent study found, is not whether the position that scientist takes is consistent with the one endorsed by a National Academy. Instead, it is likely to depend on whether the position the scientist takes is consistent with the one believed by most people who share your cultural values. more at the link:
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=117697&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=clickFinally, an explanation for the naysayers...or not.
Suppose a close friend who is... more
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Parents naturally think their children are the best in the classroom… the smartest, the most well-behaved and of course the cutest. But what happens when your kid is, point-blank… the bully?Parents naturally think their children are the best in the classroom… the... more
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It only took 15 min. for third graders to become racists and discriminatory. but that's just a minor detail in this study that should be taught at every school in the nation.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6189991712636113875#
mind blowing, just: wow.
watch the whole thing before drawing conclusions, even though it may be surprisingly hard to do.
you might learn something about yourself that you did not know.
i just had my dad watch it with me, and he revealed his prejudices to me for the first time.
i had my suspicions, but it was healing to hear him say it.
he explained he does not act on them, and that he himself has been discriminated against.
he reflected on his childhood, what he learned from his community on his own, what his parents taught him directly/indirectly, and how he feels now.
i encourage you all to do the same.
please, open discussion on this.
this is how the world can be changed, in tiny steps.It only took 15 min. for third graders to become racists and discriminatory. but... more
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Parents Choosing More Unusual Baby Names Now
Celebrities aren't the only ones giving their babies unusual names. Compared with decades ago, parents are choosing less common names for kids, which could suggest an emphasis on uniqueness and individualism, according to new research.
Essentially, today's kids (and later adults) will stand out from classmates. For instance, in the 1950s, the average first-grade class of 30 children would have had at least one boy named James (top name in 1950), while in 2013, six classes will be necessary to find only one Jacob, even though that was the most common boys' name in 2007.
The researchers suspect the uptick of unusual baby names could be a sign of a change in culture from one that applauded fitting in to today's emphasis on being unique and standing out. When taken too far, however, this individualism could also lead to narcissism, according to study researcher Jean Twenge, of San Diego State University.
More----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100224/sc_livescience/parentschoosingmoreunusualbabynamesnow
http://john.ellingsworth.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ellingsworth_names_1860_census.jpgParents Choosing More Unusual Baby Names Now
Celebrities aren't the only ones... more
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Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. If you think about it, the rewards described in this video are the very things that motivate blog writer to provide their content for free to the public.Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that... more
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Are you a visionary in life or are you an observer?
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When we are walking into a room full of people we don't know or are interviewing for a job how can we instantly increase our confidence.When we are walking into a room full of people we don't know or are interviewing... more
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Toxic shame and guilt can be devastating to one's life. How can we move beyond it?
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If we embrace our whole self, we can truly be liberated.
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US researchers have identified a new psychiatric condition known as the 'Truman syndrome' in which people are convinced they are starring in a reality TV show.
Like, seriously dude.US researchers have identified a new psychiatric condition known as the 'Truman... more
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If John McCain’s supporters are hoping for a “Bradley effect” bounce on Election Day, some pollsters and strategists say they may have another thing coming.
Beware of the “bandwagon effect.”
While the Bradley effect posits that some white voters who tell pollsters that they will vote for a black candidate often have second thoughts in the voting booth, the “bandwagon effect” suggests that a small but significant number of persuadable voters will decide at the last minute to go with "the winner."
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While the politically savvy may scoff at the idea that people are voting based on popularity, Mutz says the notion of being influenced by others isn’t so unusual when taken out of the context of politics.
"It's not at all stupid to rely on consensus," she said. "If everyone's saying that a particular restaurant is horrible, are you going to insist on going there yourself? The idea that we shouldn't turn to others for help in decision making is kind of dumb in some ways."
Even if we won’t admit it.
"Some people are proud of being a racist," said a Democratic strategist. "Nobody's proud of being a lemming."
(more at link)
If John McCain’s supporters are hoping for a “Bradley effect”... more
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asherp
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added this
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3 years ago
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A bill in the Brazilian legislature has already passed its House of Representatives and supported by the president will make anti homosexual speech a crime. If anyone speaks or acts to prevent actions of "homosexual affection" in public or private locations open to the public, they could face up to five years in prison for doing so.A bill in the Brazilian legislature has already passed its House of Representatives... more
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George Lakoff studies language, what it means, how we use it and how it reflects our thoughts. He has looked deeply into how our mind is built and how our neurons work to make decisions. In short, he is a neurological linguist.
This interview from the young turks (theyoungturks.com) should be part of persuasion 101 for the liberal political movement. I have always been amazed that the meat of the political message is NEVER as important as the sizzle. Damn. Seems to keep the republicans in charge for ever. Even when they are vastly outgunned.
Yes, I know it's a lengthy video: learning how and why to create a sound bite can't be delivered as a sound bite. Sit back, turn on your mind and enjoy.George Lakoff studies language, what it means, how we use it and how it reflects our... more
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There are some questions I would like to make to you:
-Can you appreciate SF Bay-Area's Beauty without trashing it?
-What are you doing today to honor individuals and the environment?
-What are you doing today to effective abate pollution?
So you let me know what you think about it and what are your solutions to abate noise pollution here in the City of San Francisco.
Thank You!There are some questions I would like to make to you:
-Can you appreciate SF... more
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A couple arguing about which gang their 4-year-old toddler should join caused a public disturbance that resulted in the father's arrest.
Joseph Manzanares' girlfriend told police that they had been arguing about the upbringing of their son and which gang he should belong to.
On Saturday, Manzanares stormed into the video store where his girlfriend worked, threatened to kill her and knocked over several video displays and even a computer.
The police Seargant said, "They have different ideas on how the baby should be raised. Basically, she said they cannot agree on which gang the baby would 'claim.'"A couple arguing about which gang their 4-year-old toddler should join caused a public... more
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Why most suicide bombers are Muslim, beautiful people have more daughters, humans are naturally polygamous, sexual harassment isn't sexist, and blonds are more attractive.
Definitely not a PC article, but hey, neither is evolutionary psychology. Check it out.Why most suicide bombers are Muslim, beautiful people have more daughters, humans are... more
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Personal art film on the quest for immortality.
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