1. Social psychologists like Solomon Asch have studied the conditions that affect how people act in group situations, especially the ways in which people conform to the attitudes and behavior of others. Drawing on your personal experience, think of a situation in which you either did or did not conform to the attitudes and behavior of others in a group.In a multi-paragraph essay, describe the situation and discuss the factors that influenced you to conform or not conform. Be sure to include information from class materials, readings, and research on group conformity to support your discussion.
2. Describe the controversy over whether routine vaccinations in children cause autism. What is the current interpretation of the scientific evidence? What has been a consequence of parental concerns about a potential link between routine vaccinations and autism?
3. For centuries, people have believed myths and misconceptions about psychological disorders and the people who suffer from them. Modern psychological research has allowed us to correct some of these misconceptions. As a result, many people have changed their ideas about mental and emotional disorders. Think of a common misconception you have observed in society or in your personal experience. How could information from research be used to change people’s views of psychological disorders? How can this information help us to better understand people who experience mental and emotional disorders?In a multi-paragraph essay, describe the misconception you observed and discuss how information from research could be used to change this misconception about psychological disorders and the people who suffer from them. Be sure to include details from class materials, readings, and research on psychological disorders to support your discussion.
4. Imagine that you are an experienced mental health professional. Choose a psychological disorder and describe the type of treatment plan that you would initiate for such a disorder. Describe how you would modify your treatment plan for certain patients, if they do not respond well to your typical treatment paradigm.
5. Give an example of a highly stressful circumstance that you have experienced (or you may create a fictitious scenario) and discuss the various physiological changes that would occur at each stage of Selye’s general adaptation syndrome as a result of that event.