week one discussion social

 

Read over the following articles and describe how automaticity plays a role in our life. Specifically, answer:

• How can we take the work of Bargh, Chen, and Burrows (1996) and apply it to other areas?  That is, what other applications and examples can you give that would use similar principles (e.g., priming people to eat better foods, act in more prosocial ways, etc.).
• What can you take from Williams and Bargh (2008)?  How does this study extend to other areas?
  • Bargh, J. A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2), 230-244.
  • Bargh, John A., & Williams, E. L. (2006). The automaticity of social life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(1), 1–4. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2006.00395.x
  • Williams, L. E., & Bargh, J. A. (2008). Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth. Science, 322(5901), 606–607. doi:10.1126/science.1162548.