Name : Tan Kai Sin

Student ID : 0315213

Course : Foundation in Natural and Built Environment

Assignment : Journal 1

Date of submission : 19/11/13

Entries 1

What is Social Psychology? When I noticed that there will be a subject call Social Psychology

in semester 2, I feel excited and my other courses friends feel a little jealous about me. We all

thought psychology is a very cool subject. We will be able look through other people mind after

master the psychology knowledge. I know this is the effect of watching too many drama or

movie.

In reality, in Greek, " Psychology " is equal to mind study, while the actual meaning of social

psychology is to study the human behaviour in social context. It is true that study social

psychology can let us understand people behaviour, but to look through other people mind, it has

a long way to go. The first lecturer of this subject is " the Introduction of Social Psychology". It

not only let me know the actual meaning of social psychology, it also introduce some basic

knowledge of social psychology. Throughout this, I use to know that social psychology contains

a lot of theories and all the theories are based on the researches that the psychologists did.

Besides, during this lecture, we did an activities. We need to ask our peer to write out adjectives

that describe ourself. I found out that my peer listed down some adjectives that i think I don't

have. Is them misunderstand me or I do not understand myself ? Actually, this can be explained

by social psychology. At the same time, we will become more understand ourself like who are

we and why we have this kind of behaviour when we studying social psychology.

Overall, social psychology can be said as a boring or an interesting subject. It is boring when

you need to memories and understand all the theories. While it can be very interesting when you

tried to link all these theories to your daily life. You will found out that the behaviour of the

people that around you and your behaviour also can be explained. Therefore, I hope I can gain

more knowledge about social psychology and apply it in my future life to benefit myself and

other people.

Entries 2

I noticed that I am consider as " interdependent " after learning the "self-concept" . Besides, I

used self-knowledge to understand myself. I tried to explain my behaviour like why I chosen this

not choose that option, I also predict my behaviour and feeling such as, if I met this problem

what will I do and what will I feel. In the end I found that most of the time I had mis-predicted,

for example, I predicted that I will be able to finish my assignment within last weekend but at

last I failed, I finished it after the weekend.

Furthermore, I also get to know that " Self-servicing Bias works on myself and other people.

Sometimes, I was attributing one's success to ability and effort, one's failure to luck and things

external. For instant, if I won a competition I would think that because I had well prepared and

put a lot effort in it while when I lost, I would blame is the judge's dislike me or today is not my

lucky day. I also have unrealistic optimism. Even many people get robbed at that place, but I

always think that it would not happen on me when I was at the place.

Except learning how to understand myself, during the past lecture, I also know that the power

of positive thinking and how to let ourselves gain the positive energy and the power of self-

efficacy. Before this, I had read an article, it sated that if someone keep on thinking that he is bad

luck, then he sure will become unlucky, but if he think that he is a lucky guy, he will meet a lot of

good things. I think this is so call as the power of positive thinking. In my opinion, regardless of

who are we, what situation that we in, we should have positive thinking and high self-efficacy to

make sure we can reality our dream and be responsible.

Entries 3

Intuition can be explained as the sixth sense. Every times I cannot make a decision I will use

the intuition. But after the lecture of " the power and perils of intuition", I knew more about what

is intuition. Intuition can be said as equal to our thinking. Next, as it turn out, our thinking can be

divided as controlled and automatic. This is the first time i heard it. Before this, I thought our

thinking can all be controlled.

Actually, there are many example of automatic thinking in my daily life, but after this lecture I

only recognise that these are so call as automatic thinking. The first example is the emotional

reaction. For instant, when I saw a cockroach appear in front of me, I will automatic flight or run

away without thinking.

Well, intuition helps me to make decision, this is its power. However, after this lecture, I

noticed that the perils of intuition. It contains overestimating and constructing memories. I did

these often so can I said that I am the victim of the perils of intuition? I admit that sometimes I

am too rely on intuition. I always overestimating my effort. I thought I can handle many things at

the sane times perfectly but most of the time I fail. Furthermore, I apply constructing memories

in my life. As an example, I loss my mom's car key before. My dad claim that he passed the car

to me. But I only can recall until my dad passed it to me and the rest are all blank. Then, I think

that I put it on the dining table but none of us found the key. Actually, I no sure where did I put

the car key, I just think that it should be on the table. I just construct memory that the way it

should be.

As conclusion, intuition has two sides. We should use it wisely. We should not too rely on it just

like me because of the perils of it. Thus, for now on, I will control myself not to use intuition too

often.