Social Cognition: Errors and Biases (Part 2)
1. Frankel & P-D: Loneliness and information processing and Berglas: Self-handicapping (discussion)
Answer 1A, 1B, and 1C.
A. Given what we learned last week in Anderson's article (that individuals from Eastern cultures take less credit for interpersonal successes and more responsibility for failures), how might self-handicapping occur (if at all) in Eastern cultures?
B. Is the tendency for lonely individuals to self-derogate a form of self-handicapping (especially in the realm of developing and maintaining satisfying relationships)? If so, how can this specific type of case be addressed in psychotherapy, given what Berglas suggests regarding therapy with self-handicapping individuals?
C. The article briefly discusses cognitive interventions to address the problem of self-handicapping, but it doesn't talk about real world applications of this knowledge. How might a coach of a self-handicapping athlete or a teacher of a self-handicapping teacher address this problem?
2. Murray: Writing and healing (discussion)
Answer 2A.
A. What counter explanations are there for the conclusion that "writing" can have health benefits?
Choose 2B or 2C.
B. How do you reconcile the results of Pennebaker showing the physiological benefits of writing on HIV/AIDS patients with Marlo's findings of no health benefits of writing in undergraduate students?
C. The authors make the point that writing just for the sake of writing is not beneficial, but rather "the nature of the writing is key to health effects". What clues do we have as to what might be the "nature of the writing" that would produce positive effects?
Choose two from 2D, 2E, and 2F.
D. What implications does Murray's article have for traditional therapeutic techniques that focus and rely on verbal communication of emotions during the sessions? Should current strategies be revised to include more nonverbal activities?
E. Given the argument made for the health benefits that result from writing about stress (in a meaningful way), do you think it would be wise for general physicians to recommend this to patients? Or would it be beneficial to incorporate this type of treatment into the treatment plan for patients with long-term diseases such as cancer, AIDS, etc.?
F. The article also says that there are certain kinds of people who benefit more from this writing, for example, those who are reticent. Are there any other cultural issues a clinician would want to take into account when deciding whether to employ this technique?