Stage 2 Psychology- Social Cognition

Assignment
Skills and Application Task
8%
Draft Due: Monday Week 10 (this document)
Final Due: Friday Week 1 Term 2

TASK: Watch the movie ‘The Devil

Wears Prada’ and answer the questions
below, supporting your answers with
appropriate referencing to both the
movie and Social Cognition Psychology
concepts.
Work count: 1500 approx
For your final - The questions must
be typed out neatly. The sheets
attached are for notes only.
The questions have been highlighted
in blue to assist you.

IN THIS ASSESSMENT ITEM YOU WILL BE QUOTING FROM A MOVIE

Some tips!

1. Information you have borrowed from a source, such as quotations, summaries, and
paraphrases must be clearly documented.
2. Write out the movie lines, using proper punctuation and capitalization. Follow the general
punctuation rules, capitalizing the first word in each sentence and any proper nouns, such as
names.

Also, be sure to place the lines in quotation marks. If the lines are longer than four lines, create
a block quote. For block quotes, leave off the quotation marks. In that case, indent the entire
block of text one inch; double-space the section.
3. Place an in-text citation directly after the movie lines quoted and before the full stop
ending the final sentence. Place the name of the movie, properly capitalized, into parentheses;
format it with italics. Follow that with a full stop.

4. Create a "Reference" page to place at the end of your essay.

Ref: http://www.ehow.com/how_5888163_cite-movie-lines-mla-essay.html

Stage 2 Psychology 2020


Event
The opening scene: Andy
gets ready for and
attends a job interview
at Runway magazine
Describe the structure of
Andy's attitude to
fashion.
Explain a function that
this attitude may serve
Miranda's driver sends a
text message that
Miranda is on her way to
the office early.
The staff react.
List examples of the
actions the staff in the
office take which are
directed at impression
management because of
Miranda.
Stage 2 Psychology 2020
Social Cognition principle/
Notes/Answer
guiding question
Describe the structure of Tri-component/ABC Model…
Andy's attitude to fashion.
Explain a function that
this attitude may serve.
Youtube link
Impression management
is the process by which
people attempt to manage
the impression of
themselves that they
present to others.
Generally, people want
others to like and respect
them.
They do this through both
verbal and non-verbal
communication.
List examples of the
actions the staff in the
office take which are
directed at impression
management because of
 Miranda.

Youtube link

Miranda arrives at the What is your first

office. impression of Miranda?

What is your first List as many

impression of Miranda? characteristics as you
can.

First impressions are

based on -

Non-verbal
communication: distance,
gestures, open & closed
postures, eye contact,
facial expression &
physical appearance

Paralinguistic cues:
variations in speech,
rather than the actual
words spoken, caries
emotion. Includes voice
pitch, loudness, rhythm,
inflection, hesitations &
emphasis.

Verbal communication:
what is said and in what
context

Cognitive schema: we
often categorise people
into a particular group and
then stereotypes that we
hold about that group fill

Stage 2 Psychology 2020


Andy has dinner with her
friends.
List some examples of
social comparisons that
the friends use at dinner.
Emily describes her job
compared to Andy's.
List examples of Emily
using downward social
comparisons.
Stage 2 Psychology 2020
in the gaps we don't yet
know about the person.
Youtube link
Similar social
comparisons:
seeking out similar people
with whom to compare
perceptions and attitudes.
We do this to know that
we fit social norms and fit
in with our peer group.
List some examples of
social comparisons that
the friends use at dinner.
Youtube link
Downward social
comparisons:
When we compare
ourselves to someone who
is slightly worse off than
ourselves. It generally
makes us feel good
because the comparison
presents us in a positive
light, showing us to be
better than someone else.
It gives our self-esteem a
boost. It is generally
considered acceptable in
society to be slightly
better in performance than

After a fight with
Miranda, Andy runs to
Nigel for comfort.
Nigel makes a long
speech about why he
thinks she doesn't fit in
at Runway.
How does Andy use an
upward social
comparison in this
scene?
Stage 2 Psychology 2020
others; however we can
also make comparison
with someone who is
much less fortunate, less
happy or not as
successful.
List examples of Emily
using downward social
comparisons.
Youtube link
Upward social
comparisons:
when we compare
ourselves with someone
who is more fortunate,
happier or better at a task
than us. This can give us
something to aim towards
and has the advantage of
encouraging people to try
to improve themselves.
Can also make us feel
inadequate and
disillusioned about our
own abilities. If the
standard isn't achievable,
this may discourage us
from trying to improve our
performance.
How does Andy use an
upward social comparison
in this scene?
Youtube link

Andy starts to dress
fashionably for work.
Which factors might be
influencing Andy's
attitude-behaviour link?
At James Holt's preview,
Nigel says "Her opinion
is the only one that
matters"
Explain Nigel's comment
using the factors that
Stage 2 Psychology 2020
Attitude-Behaviour link:
Strength, accessibility,
specificity
Two more:Attitudes may
be ambivalent – both
positive and negative
responses to the same
thing. Doesn't lead to
predictable behaviour and
is likely to be affected by
the situational factors.
The social situation we
are in affects how freely
we express our attitudes –
sometimes we choose not
to express our attitudes
because we are
concerned that we will
present a negative image
to others. Attitudes are a
better predictor of
behaviour when social
influences that conflict
with the attitude are
lessened.
Which factors might be
influencing Andy's
attitude-behaviour link
Youtube link
Miranda's opinion is very
persuasive.
Explain Nigel's comment
using the factors that
influence attitude change:
source, message,
 influence attitude audience and channel, and
change: source, peripheral and central
message, audience and processing routes
channel, and peripheral
and central processing
routes

Cognitive Dissonance

Miranda offers Andy the

How might cognitive
chance to go to Paris.
dissonance explain Andy's
reaction to this offer?
How might cognitive
dissonance explain
Andy's reaction to this
offer? Youtube link- end of video

Use as many principles of social cognition as you can to explain the last
ride in the taxi with Andy & Miranda, leading to the resolution of the story.

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PEFORMANCE STANDARDS MARKING SCHEME AND CHECKLIST

Performance Standard Criteria within this Assessment Item Checklist

Stage 2 Psychology 2020

 A&E 1: Uses perceptive and thorough analytical skills to
examine the behaviour of individuals and groups of people in
different contexts.
 Student can identify the social situation surrounding
the actor in the movie.
 Student can analyse the actor’s behaviour effectively
and suggest Social Cognition concepts that explain
their behaviour correctly

APP 1: Applies psychology concepts and evidence from
investigations to suggest solutions to complex problems in
new and familiar contexts.
 Student demonstrates a high level of understanding
of Social Cognition concepts and can apply these
theories and phenomena to the new contexts shown
throughout the movie.
 Student can explain Social Cognition concepts in
their own words and accurately describe how they
are applicable in the situations shown in the movie.

APP 2: Uses appropriate psychology terms highly effectively.
 Student consistently uses correct Psychological
terminology to describe psychological theories and
phenomena.
 Student shows sound word usage, spelling,
grammar and sentence structure.
 Sentences are not over-complicated or ‘wordy’.

K&U 1: Consistently demonstrates a deep and broad,  Student consistently describes the actions, attitudes
knowledge and understanding of a range of psychology and feelings of the actors through relating them to
concepts and ethical considerations. relevant theories of Social Cognition.

K&U 2: Uses knowledge of psychology perceptively and  Student consistently describes the actions, attitudes
logically to understand and explain behaviours. and feelings of the actors through relating them to
relevant theories of Social Cognition.

Below are the SACE Performance Standards for this task. They correlate to the Assessment Design Criteria. If the row
is shaded, these standards are not included in this task.

A B C D E
Designs and /or implements a Designs and /or implements Designs and /or implements a Prepares the outline of or Identifies a simple
logical, coherent and detailed a well-considered and clear -considered and generally clear partially implements a procedure for a psychology
1 plan for a psychology plan for a psychology plan for a psychology psychology investigation. investigation.
Stage 2 Psychology
investigation2020 investigation. investigation.

Critically and logically selects Logically selects and Selects with some focus and Selects and may partly Identifies a source of
and consistently and appropriately acknowledges mostly appropriately acknowledge one or more information about
appropriately acknowledges information about psychology acknowledges information sources of information about psychology or an issue in
Stage 2 Psychology 2020