PSY 200/SOC 200: Social Psychology//Social final

Castro Ana

Ana Castro

PSY 200/SOC 200: Social Psychology

September 3, 2026

Milestone 2 Assessment

1. Learning Through Operant and Observational Learning

When I started my first job at a retail store, I did not know how to use the cash register, and I was nervous about making mistakes in front of customers. One of my coworkers, Diana, noticed I was struggling and took the time to show me what to do. I watched her scan items, process returns, talk to customers, and stay calm even when the store was busy. After watching her a few times, I started copying what she did until I became more comfortable. This is an example of observational learning because the textbook explains that people “learn by observing the behavior of others” (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). Diana became a model for me, and I paid close attention because I wanted to do well at my job. The textbook also explains that Bandura saw observational learning as an important part of social behavior and that people are more likely to imitate a model when they are motivated to learn from them (Bandura, 1977, as cited in Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). At the same time, operant learning was also happening. Operant learning means learning from the consequences of our behavior (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). When customers thanked me or smiled after I helped them, it encouraged me to keep doing those things. When I made a mistake, such as forgetting to give someone their receipt, the uncomfortable reaction reminded me not to repeat it. The mini-lecture says that learning is a lifelong process that helps people learn culture and develop their personality (Leduc, Fall 2026). This job helped me become more responsible, patient, and confident when interacting with others.

2. Snap Judgments and the Influence of Expectations

One time I was sitting in a clinic waiting room and noticed a man with tattoos on his arms and old, oversized clothes. Without knowing anything about him, I immediately felt uncomfortable and assumed he might not be safe or friendly. I even pulled my bag closer to me. Looking back, I can see that this was a snap judgment based on my expectations instead of facts. The textbook explains that much of social cognition happens automatically, meaning it occurs quickly, without much effort, and sometimes without our awareness (Ferguson & Bargh, 2003, as cited in Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). I was not carefully thinking through the situation; I reacted almost instantly. The textbook also explains that people often judge others based on noticeable features because those features stand out and attract attention (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). In this case, his tattoos and clothing stood out to me and activated a stereotype I did not realize I had. My judgment was not fair. A little later, I saw the same man help an elderly woman pick up papers she had dropped and hold the door open for her. That moment showed me that my first impression was wrong. The Key Takeaways explain that our expectations can create bias in how we judge ourselves and other people (Leduc, Fall 2026). I think expectations can influence how I respond to people. The textbook calls this a self-fulfilling prophecy, which happens when our expectations lead us to act in ways that make those expectations seem true (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). If I expect someone to be rude, I may act guarded, and then they may respond coldly because of my behavior.

3. Cognitive Errors and the Availability Heuristic

Last year, I saw several news stories about car break-ins near my neighborhood. The stories were easy to remember because they were recent and emotional. They showed broken windows, missing belongings, and upset people talking about what happened. After seeing a few of these stories, I started to believe that my neighborhood had become very dangerous and that my car might be next. I checked on my car more than usual and even thought about whether I should move somewhere else. However, the actual crime rate had not changed as much as I believed. This is an example of the availability heuristic. The textbook explains that people often see things as more common when they come to mind easily (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). Because the break-in stories were so vivid and fresh in my memory, I overestimated how likely it was that the same thing would happen to me. The main factor involved was cognitive accessibility, which means how easily a schema is activated in memory and used when processing information (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). The more I read about break-ins, the easier those examples were to remember. The textbook gives a similar example about people being afraid of plane crashes even though car crashes are more common, because plane crashes are more dramatic and easier to recall (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). In my situation, the outcome was extra stress and a less accurate view of my neighborhood. The Key Takeaways explain that accessibility can lead to biases like the availability heuristic (Leduc, Fall 2026), and that is exactly what happened.

4. Doing Gender

In high school, I noticed that my friend group followed certain gender expectations without really talking about them. The girls usually complimented each other’s hair, makeup, outfits, or appearance. Before school events, we helped each other get ready and talked about who looked nice. The boys acted differently. They usually complimented each other for being funny, athletic, strong, or good at something. They did not usually compliment each other’s appearance. One time, a boy told another boy that he liked his outfit, and the other boys teased him. After that, he stopped making comments like that. This showed me how people learn to “do gender” in everyday life. For girls, doing gender often meant focusing on appearance, being supportive, and showing care through friendships. The course material explains that gender is mostly learned, not simply decided by chromosomes, and defines “doing gender” as the way people live up to expectations connected to being male or female (Leduc, Fall 2026). I think I was participating in this without realizing it. I spent extra time on my hair, makeup, and clothes because that was what felt normal in my group. The course material also explains that society often connects being female with relationships, such as being nurturing, nice, friendly, and caring, while being male is often connected with performance, such as being strong, reliable, athletic, and hardworking (Leduc, Fall 2026). What stands out to me now is that these behaviors did not feel forced at the time. They felt natural because I had learned them over time. This connects to the course question about describing ourselves in a few adjectives, because many of the words we choose may already be shaped by gender expectations.

AI Use Disclosure: I used an AI tool (google) to brainstorm ideas and identify relevant quotes from course materials for this assignment. All written content was reviewed and revised by me.