psychology journal

Social Influences

Social influences are how one perceives him/herself differently or the same as a

particular social group. Thus, also depending on the culture that he/she has been

raised in. There are two culture differences, such as the individualistic culture, which

is a culture that focuses on an independent individual’s wants and needs. However, a

collectivist’s culture focuses on interdependence and a group’s wants and needs.

The way that I am able to relate to this topic is because, in Bahrain, a collectivistic

culture is encouraged; however, for the past eighteen years of my life I had attended

an international school with people who were predominantly European and from an

individualistic culture. Therefore, my mind set had been formed in a way that differs

from the religious (Islamic) beliefs I had been brought up in, and differs from my own

cultural (Arab) values.

Another example of this counter-culture is that due to the fact I went to an all-

English school with people whose first language was English, I had spoken the

language more than my own language and mother tongue, even with my friends

whom are local. English is a first language of mine, followed by Arabic (Bahrain’s

national language), and Persian (my mother tongue because of my ethnicity).

Bahrain is a country compiled of multiple ethnicities, such as Arabs (Baharnas &

Bedouins), Afro-Arabs (Decendants of Africans, primarily from East Africa), Persians

(Ajams & Holas), Turks, Banyans (Indians who traded and settled in Bahrain). The

two major ethnicities, however, are the Arabs and the Persians. Bahrain is an Arabic

country; however, as a Persian in the Middle-East, I have been raised around

Persians influences, such as, the language; traditions; cuisines; the arts; and the

people.

SAMAA ISMAEEL | 0316353 | FNBE FEB 2014 | TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY

Moreover, I have been raised with three completely different cultures, creating a

counter-culture for myself in Bahrain. This at times comes into conflict with my

parents due to the age gap (30+) and the collectivistic culture they have been raised

with, for example, they may tolerate homosexuals, transsexuals, atheists or anyone

who does not fit what is considered ‘normal’ in our society, however, at times

(rarely) they can be judgemental (lessens with old age). I do not blame them as they

have been raised in a different time with people, such as my great grandparents,

who valued the ‘Aryan race’ (which is no longer existent) and who stuck to old

traditional values.


Schema

Schemas are based on experiences towards something/someone. It can be a

stereotype which allows us to classify people in categories so that we are able to find

comfort in something we can label. A Schema works as a mental index file which

labels characteristics so that the information stored could then be processed and

identified.

As a person from the Middle-East, I have faced discrimination from quite a few

people due to the way they view Middle-Easterns. Middle-Easterns are viewed as

people whom are filthy rich; married to a dozen wives, own twenty cars and a

mansion. In reality, that would possibly be the life of a person who is Royal or a

blood-relative of a wealthy businessman.

However, media portrays Middle-Easterns in a negative light (they are represented

on both ends of the spectrum, either a filthy rich pig, or a terrorist/suicide bomber)

causing the majority of people to generalise that Schema of a Middle-Eastern. In

Bahrain, the majority of people come from the middle-class and have enough to live

a comfortable life.

Another form of generalisation that I have faced with, but this time in Malaysia; is

when some Taxi drivers ask where I’m from followed by a question regarding why

I’m not covered in a headscarf the way some Muslim women are, or they assume

that I take it off now that I study abroad. In reality, I dress the same back home as I

do here and that I view the headscarf as a choice, who wishes to wear it does, and

who does not simply doesn’t (unless of course they are made to by their families).

I believe that Schema also plays a part in ignorance too by stereotyping people by

their physical aspects, a lot of people from the Middle-East as I have witnessed, refer

to people with fair skin/hair as ‘ajna-bee’(for males) / ’ajna-beeya’(for females) (

أجنبية/ which translates into ‘Foreigner’, many are called ‘engl-eezi’ (for (أجنبي


males) / ‘engl-eeziya’ (for females) ( إنغليزية\ .’which translates into ‘English (إنغليزي

So, in basic terms anyone who has fair skin/ fair hair/ lights eyes are referred to as

‘English’, when in fact, they’re either from America or from elsewhere. The classic

response when you point out that not everyone is English would be واحد which ”"كله

translates into “all is one”, in other words, they’re all the same.


Classical Conditioning

The definition of classical conditioning is when an unconditioned stimulus and

unconditioned response are conditioned through repeated exposure. An example of

this is Pavlov’s salivating dogs, what Pavlov did was that he rang the bell

(Unconditioned Stimulus) before the dogs were fed (Unconditioned Response),

through repeated exposure the dogs then conditioned the sound of the bell to being

fed which they then salivated to every time they heard the sound of the bell.

An example of Classical Conditioning is when I feed my fish, Squishy. I feed Squishy

after I wake up and open the curtains, therefore, squishy had conditioned the light

(Conditioned Stimulus) to being fed, so, if I open the curtains during daylight no

matter what time it is, he then swims up to the surface (Conditioned Response)

thinking that he will be fed. Not only has he conditioned any source of light to being

fed, but he has also conditioned the sound (Conditioned Stimulus) of the lid opening

on his fish tank to being fed too. So, whenever I open the lid to check up on squishy

he swims up to the surface also thinking that he will be fed any minute.

Another example of Classical Conditioning is that I often smoke (smoking being the

Unconditioned Stimulus) when I am stressed in order to feel relaxed (Unconditioned

Response). Through repeated exposure I had unknowingly conditioned myself to feel

the need to smoke every time I am stressed in order to feel the slightest bit relaxed

about the situation that I am in. Therefore, now the conditioned stimulus has a

conditioned response which is the result of feeling relaxed.


Harold Kelley: Covariation Theory

What Kelley had suggested was that there are three stages to attribution, the first

being Consensus (If the majority would behave in the same manner), second being

Distinctiveness (If the person would react differently towards that stimulus in other

situations), third being Consistency (If the person would react the same towards that

stimulus in different contexts).

The majority in the Middle-East (and maybe in most collectivistic cultures) assume

that marriage is a vital stage in life and that it is a necessity in order to live a

comfortable and happy life. In fact, when I attend weddings and congratulate the

bride’s, or groom’s mother, most of them respond with something along the lines of

wishing me a husband in the future; the irony being, most of these women are either

miserable with their marriage or divorced. I learned that happiness is something that

is brought upon the self internally rather than through an external stimulus.

From time to time I rant to my mother about how my future goals is to build my own

house by the sea, live with a black cat (mamba) and a white cat (seagull), * that is

how I choose to seek happiness. (We usually end in a fair debate in which she

realises that she will never get biological grandchildren from me) * And maybe with

a future partner.

Moreover, due to the fact that getting married and having children is the ‘norm’

there is a Low Consensus since the majority choose to settle down with a husband

and have children. There is a High Distinctiveness since no matter whom I debate

with in this topic I still stand very strongly against my beliefs despite what is

considered the norm in my culture and religion.

However, there is a Low Consistency, although I do not wish to get married nor have

kids, nobody asked me whom I want to live with or whom I wish to get married to (If

at the time I wanted to) in the future. I may be against the idea of traditional values,

but I’m keen on the idea of a partnership. Thus, resulting in both an internal and


external cause that because I wouldn’t mind finding comfort in living alone (internal),

however, if in the future I live abroad and financially support myself, and find a

partner (external) whom I feel I want to live with then so be it.

Another example of the Covariation Theory is wearing a headscarf. My family (Mom

& Dad) have never forced me nor have they suggested me and my sister to wear

one, despite my mom wearing a headscarf. My sister only started wearing it last year

as a personal choice of hers, leaving me the only female out of our close and

extended family that doesn’t wear one. My personal opinion is that although a

headscarf may identify a person’s background and religion, it does not reflect the

individual itself.

Some people make the assumption that because a person looks respectable that

they are respectable, it’s a common mistake all around the world. In this case, there

is a Low Consensus since all the females in my extended family wear one; however,

there is a High Distinctiveness because I stand strongly with how I wish to express

myself. Although my extended family all wear one (some making subtle comments

about how I don’t wear one) and some of my friends do I still do not give into the

family and peer pressure of wearing a headscarf since this is due to an internal cause

rather than an external one, resulting in High Consistency.


Social Loafing

Ringelmann (1883) conducted a research from which he concluded from that an

individual’s performance lacks in the presence of other.

The way in which I can relate to this is that during group projects, at times when I am

placed in a group with people who need to be told what to do; it is difficult to

complete your own tasks. It creates more pressure on me to ensure that not only am

I doing what I need to do but so are they.

It would be hypocritical of me to blame others since at times in some groups I was

the one that lacked due to not having one specific job but doing a little bit of

everything all at once. I generally prefer working alone because I do thing one at a

time rather than everything all at once, which can be confusing to me.

The second example that relates to Ringelmann’s study is during the summer of

2011 when I was Sixteen years old I got a Summer job at a day care in Bahrain. I was

really interested in Child Developmental Psychology; I was reading some sources

preparing myself for the following year (Psychology A-Level), so, while I was working

I would apply what I learned to the children at the day care; such as those with Type

A, B, and C attachments; those with Autism; those with Asperger’s, and those who

were threatening and violent (which happened to be this one little Philipino girl, who

not only scared the other kids, but scared me too*). *apparently her parents even took

her to see a priest.

There was this one boy, who I assume, was Autistic. He spent most of his time to

himself, and for someone his age it took a lot of repeating for him to comprehend

something. I spent my focus on him since I noticed that in a group his performance

began to lack and he felt out of place, therefore, I would sit with him and tell him

what to do.


Evolutionary Perspective

The Evolutionary Perspective focuses on the physical and biological predispositions

(gene pool) that would be naturally selected to allow survival.

Although the Evolutionary Perspective is my favourite perspective, due to how easy

it is to find physical evidence; it in my opinion, it is the shallowest perspective. It

disregards all emotional and mental feeling, and focuses primarily on physical

aspects that help keep us alive, which is through eating, sleeping, strength and

procreating.

I’ve noticed that my generation (older and younger by a few years too) are so

conscious about their physical aspects, thinking that aesthetics are solely the only

way to find someone. This creates a lot of pressure on both men and women.

The way I can relate this to real life scenarios is adverts, Women (mainly) and Men

are almost always sexualised/objectified in any promotional platform available,

making the youth or anyone with access to these platforms think that the bodies of

those people on TV or on posters etc. should be used as a template to how they are

supposed to look like.

It has reached a point where people disregard being ‘skinny’ as an eating disorder

just because they are thin and not ‘fat’. It has reached a point where some people I

know were bulimic (both boys and girls). I was bullied throughout most of my

childhood for something that had to relate to a physical aspect of mine; either my

weight, my voice, the birthmark behind my leg, how I was too ‘manly’ for a girl, how

I was too hairy (I blame my Persian background), how I had a monobrow (this shall

not be repeated), thick eyebrows*, and how I never had girls as friends.

I never knew what the ‘perfect’ person was, but what I did notice was that the

European girls with Aryan features in my school were treated a lot better than I was,


I never had a problem with it, I just didn’t at the time understand why being thin and

having light features is more admirable.

*Ironically thick eyebrows are in now


Self-Concept

A Self-Concept is a mental representation of how one would view him/herself, this

including various beliefs, how you’d describe yourself and it may even be referred to

as a Self-Schemata.

The way I mentally view myself is as someone nobody would wish to approach, I’ve

been told many times that at first encounter I look either depressed, angry, too

serious, scary, and that I look like a bully. Thanks guys.

However, the way I view myself is entirely different; I sometimes purposely put on a

serious look/face as a defence mechanism (that or it’s just my face). I generally hate

being approached only because the situation becomes awkward, and I don’t like

feeling uncomfortable.

My personal beliefs include: Pro-Choice, Gay Marriage & the acknowledgment of

Gay relationships, Equality, to not be discriminating towards people over aspects,

such as: Race, Age, Gender, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Self-Expression. I’d

describe myself as a free-thinker, I believe the only way to tolerate, accept, and

grow, is to be raised with people who have opinions that are very differently to

yours. I’m fond of the arts, this including; songs, music, performing arts, film making,

and art galleries.

I’d describe myself as a stubborn person, not easily tempered but can easily be angry

if a specific word is said or a specific action is done. I’m possessive of the people and

things I care about. I’m relentless, and at times, it could be a negative thing. I spend

most of my time alone in my room to the point where I find it hard to befriend

people. Although loneliness isn’t always a good thing, I enjoy my own company more

often than I should; and I feel that a lot of people struggle to spend time alone with

themselves, so, at least I can survive extreme solitude during the zombie apocalypse.

I’ve been wanting a White teacup Pomeranian for a while now.


NAME: SAMAA TARIQ ABDULSATTAR ABDULAZIZ ISMAEEL

STUDENT ID: 0316353

SUBJECT: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

LECTURER: MR. SHANKAR


psychology journal

Education