SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

Foundation in Natural Built Environment (FNBE) September 2015

NAME : TEH WEI HONG

STUDENT ID : 0323743

COURSE : SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

LECTURER : MR T.SHANKAR

SUBMISSION DATE : 30TH NOVEMBER 2015

Concept: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

13th January 2007

Intrinsic motivation is defined as performing an action or behaviour because you enjoy the activity itself. Whereas acting on extrinsic motivation is done for the sake of some external outcome, the inspiration for acting on intrinsic motivation can be found in the action itself. Extrinsic motivation is when I am motivated by external factors, as opposed to the internal drivers of intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation drives me to do things for tangible rewards or pressures, rather than for the fun of it. So we can see that intrinsic motivation actually is someone do something is just for fun, he did it because he likes it, but extrinsic motivation means someone do something because there is reward given or to prevent negative consequence.

My experience in getting intrinsic motivation is my hobby, badminton. I used to play badminton since I was 10. I am inspired by two persons which are Dato Lee Chong Wei and my father. My father actually is a badminton lover too, but he have no time for training, he was so busy on working. At about 7 years old, my father always watching badminton match and start cheering if his supported team won. Unconsciously, I love to watch badminton matches and start playing it with my father in my backyard. After I grew up, I cannot stop playing badminton because I loved the feel of smashing the shuttlecocks with a racquet and the sound produced, the feeling of sweating and everything about badminton was so nice. I could release all the stress faced on studies toward to shuttlecocks and the opponent. Because of this feelings it lead me toward a long-term motivation and I won’t give up so easily even if I lose. There is no any rewards for me to continue playing badminton, unless there is a competition, but the rewards does not mean anything to me, I love badminton does not because any reward given and does not mean that I wanted to be like Data Lee Chong Wei in future so I played badminton. This actually shows that I had been intrinsic motivated to play badminton, because I does not seek for any reward just like the feeling in badminton court.

One of my extrinsic motivation happen when I was young, which I am trying to get something like rewards from my parents when I had to do something. I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents tried to motivate me to study hard and get a good result by rewarding me a bicycle that I wanted so bad at that time. After that day, I started study hard and keep questioning them when I faced the difficulty to find out the solution for any questions. When I felt lazy or tired I tried thinking of the bicycle, keep telling myself how cool it is when I riding on it and I can show off to others with that speedy bicycle. In the end, I came out with a full A’s result and I had rewarded. I remembered I was so excited and had so much fun with the new bicycle. So this shows the extrinsic motivation given by my parents to motivate me to achieve a goal.

The other example happened when I was 17, form 5. In that time, I had to sit for an exam which is SPM. I had wasted the first half years doing nothing, means that I am not studying from January to June, that time I was trapped into online game called Dota. And yes the trial of SPM held on August, I have totally no time to cover everything that teacher taught in pass 6 months. I get a terrible result for my trial exam because of lacking of time, ‘but it is not SPM exam yet I still got time’ I said, so I set a target and a reward as a motivation for me to achieve the goals that I set. I was keeping telling myself, if I cannot get 8 A’s in SPM I will delete the online games and clear all the data recorded, but if I get 8 A’s there is no one can

stop me playing the game anymore, I could play it all day all night and no one can say I cannot play too much games because my result was bad. After those goals set, I started to leave my games a side and focus on my studies. In the end, result does reached what I wanted but I scored better than my trial. It is good enough, at least I tried my best… Hence, how about my games? I have did not play it for a long time so I lose interest in keep playing it. I felt regrets when thinking about it.

Concept: Post-Decision Dissonance

30th April 2010

Post-decision dissonance means to change cognitions in such a manner as to increase the attractiveness of the chosen alternative relative to the unchosen alternative, in the other word is mean when someone forced to get a situation or things, he or she will support his or her own things with full force compared to the unchosen, just like the story “Sour Grapes”. The story described a starving fox saw luscious looking grapes in a vine yard, but they hung higher than the fox could reach. He tried so hard to get the grapes, but he cannot reach even he jump and climb towards it. Hence the fox said “I am sure those grapes taste truly sour, I won’t eat then even they were served with silver platter.” This story actually shows the post-decision dissonance, and I have some stories that happened to me when I was child which related to this concept too.

This story is about when I get my first phone when I was 13, which model is SAMSUNG Galaxy S i9001. I, myself have a bit difficulty on choosing things, so before I got my Galaxy S, I was compare it with another model which is Nokia E7, which designed with attractive shape and colour compared to Samsung’s Model. I liked Nokia E7 more than Galaxy S at that time, but in fact, the function of Samsung is much better than that Nokia model. I am persuaded by the salesman and finally I bought Samsung Galaxy S, but after I reached home, I am still consider the Nokia E7 model, the model really looks cool! Hence, my mind automatically came out a conclusion that is ‘Nokia E7 is just looks well it is not very nice to use it does not same as Samsung Galaxy S, it has more function…’ My first experience of post-decision dissonance occurred right now.

The second story is when I was 16 in secondary school, I met my first love, actually is just crush, what a sad story huh? Let’s skip the story after I got her phone number, at that time, I just chat with her day and night, we discussed homework together, take care of each other just like what couple did, just left a certificate to show that we are couple. An unexpected moment happened few month later, she and a guys were holding hands walking passed me, what a surprise. After I went home, I asked about who that guys is? And of course she replied “he is my boyfriend” and “I thought we just friend’ she said. I am so depressed that time and I start judging her, something like she won’t feel happy by staying with that guy, they guy would not treat her well as what I did, they will break up one day. Besides, my friends were consoling me by start talking her bad habits like she actually is lazy, dirt person. Her cousin and also my friend said “she has many bad habits that you won’t like her anymore if I told you”. These make my mind-sets stronger that she is not really suitable for me and I could find a better one compared to her in future. “If one day, she break up with her boyfriend, and she comes to find me, I am sure that I will not entertain her anymore!” I said. Actually, my reaction at that time was just like the fox in the sour grapes story.

Post-decision dissonance actually happens when we have to choose something, but it does not have to be a ‘thing’ it can be a situation. For example, when I was small like just 6 or 7 years old, my sister and I liked to go to my cousin house which located at Alor Setar. My home town is at Kulim, it takes about 2 hours to reach there, we not often go there, and so each time we went there is so precious at that time, I loved it so much when I met my cousins. One day, my father had to go there for his business, but unluckily I had tuition at that time and my sister did not have any, she laughed at me for do not have the chance to go there, and I have to stay with my aunt. “It is unfair” I said and I begging my mother to let

me skip the tuition for one day, but of course she rejected. That time I was so ignorant, what I did is scolding them so badly when I was in my aunt’s house and start cursing them. When I was in the tuition centre I did not listen to what teacher teach and keep hypnosis myself that they aren’t have fun there!

Concept: Self-Serving Bias

29th May 2013

The self-serving bias is people's tendency to attribute positive events to their own character but attribute negative events to external factors. It's a common type of cognitive bias that has been extensively studied in social psychology. In other words, self-serving bias means when u success or satisfied with something you did, you will be so proud of it and start praising yourself even what you did is just a little or maybe you just lucky. In other hand, you will start blaming other people or the environments cause u to fail or did something wrong in self-serving bias. There are some examples shows at below.

My first experience of having self-serving bias is when I am 16, that time I was form 3. I took part in a man single badminton competition represent my secondary school which is SMJK Chio Min. To make sure I play well in the competition I forced by my coach to have a training 4 hours every day. It is such a tough period before the competition start, all I need to do is practice and practice. After school, I have to go straight away to Kulim Club, which is an entertainment club that u can play any sports there as long as they have the courts. As I said I have to bath there and then go for practicing. Although that is very hard, but I tried my best to do it. Finally the day of the competition came, I met a junior for the first match, I scored 21-16 and 21- 14 in the first and second round. It is so lucky that I won! But unfortunately I lose my second match with the score 18-21, 21-19 and 16-21. The opponent was so strong and I was so tired but yet I still have my third match which fight for fourth place. I won the fourth place in the end. This shows that I had my self-serving bias which showed when I won the first match, I mentioned the enemy was ‘junior’ means that it is easy to beat him and I lose I was finding excuse to cover it just like, I am out of stamina or enemy is too strong or my muscle cramped.

In the next year, I was 17 year old, the bias happened when I had my trial test for my SPM. It was tested around the end of the August, it last about 3 weeks. Before that, I was too playful so I did not really prepare for the trial exam. When I was Form 5, the first 6 months, it is exactly half year I was trapped in an online games. Why I was trapped, is because at that time everyone playing the same games included my friends especially my best friends, I was influenced by them. This is because if I did not play I do not have the topic to talk to them or did not understand what were them talking about. I only started m revision for my studies when July, means that I do not have much time to study, only two months to cover whole things that teacher taught in pass few months. So, I did not score a flying colours in my trial exam. My parents of course asked me for the reason for getting the result, at that time I answered them that teacher did not teach us well and some of them are lazy, or something like the exam is too hard compared to pass year paper or the format of the exam changed so it is hard to score. These self-serving bias I did when I was 17,I blamed others that influenced me instead of saying I, myself played too much games and blamed the exam paper is too hard.

When I was 18, after I failed my driving licence test, I used the concept of self-serving bias to conceal the shameful that I faced. After the all training I learned, here comes the test. The test actually divided into three parts, first part is naming the all engine and accessories in the car, second part is parking and third part is drive at the highway. In that morning, I am so nervous because it is the first time I went to the test. I passed the first two parts, but until the third part because of nervous, I was so trembling, my legs shake until I cannot even hold

the clutch. When I reached the junction and about to go out, a car ‘fly’ passed me, I am shocked so I released the clutch in the matter of second and the car just dropped anchor and it stopped over the white line, and I restarted it and trying to pretend there is nothing happen, but the tester beside me told me to stop at the roadside and switch the place with him, obviously means failed. At that time, I had no idea why I am fail and I asked, he said I had stop the car over the white line, and I said ‘ What? I am ready to go out but my car had just dropped anchor, so only it cross over the line, and there were cars pass through in front of me, I was forced to wait there.” But he replied “You should reverse, man.” After that my friend asked me about the result and I just blamed toward the tester and the environment at that time just like what I mentioned above. I never say that I am too nervous and it cause me to fail, because this is the bias.

Concept: The Mood-Congruence Effects

18th July 2014

In psychology, mood congruence is the congruence between feeling, or the emotion that a person is experiencing, and affect display, or the manner in which that emotion is "presenting", or being expressed. It can also be defined as when we are in good mood, we will remember all the good things happened or the positive detail in that situation, in the other hand, when we are moody or in bad mood we will attracted by the negative things happened and remember all the negative detail in any situation. There is also a mood dependent memory, which the memory affected by mood we have. The following examples shows how it works in our daily life.

The first experience that I experienced when it is my 17th birthday party. In that morning, I was excited, of course I am. ‘Today is my birthday and there is a party tonight!’ I said. What I remember was I receive two ‘angpau’ from my parents and I had my Chinese traditional noodles as my breakfast served with two red eggs by my lovely mother. After that, I played video games with my cousins, who stay overnight with me. It is so much fun, we started fighting if one of us lose or what, but our relationship never change or affect by these small things. In the evening, I was helping to decorates and prepared the food for the party, in reality, I was just a commander, using my mouth to make sure all works done by my cousins. After all my friends reached, the party starts! First, we chat and allay our hunger. We played games, sang karaoke and what I remember the most was I was pranked by my friends, although it feels really pain by falling down from an accidents happened but pain does not affected the fun we have in that time. I received many presents that have its own value and all of them recorded the good memory we had on that day. So what can conclude here is I remembered all the good moment happened on that day and I don’t really pay attention on who cried there, who were feeling sad , is there anyone faced trouble or what. A word come to my mind when I started thinking the moment on that day is just fun!

The second story is about the negative moment I remember when I felt sad. When I was 14, I remember I had an exam which is Seni, means art in English. This subject isn’t really important and the marks does not counted in the final score reports just like CGPA in university. So that time I was so playful, I fill the blank space of the test with all the name of my art’s teacher, which is Ms Delia and the whole paper was her name and I passed up. After a few weeks, the principle came to our class, he listed my name and asked me follow him to his office. He asked me why did you did this, and I answered it is fun and this exam paper does not have any marks in my average total marks. He was so angry because I said that, he taught I am not respect him but I am just answered his question, so he punished me with a cane on my butts and called my parents to school. My mood on that day was so angry because I do not think I did wrong at that time. So what inside my memory now is just stored all the negative details happened on that day, for example I was punished, my butt was so pain, someone laughed on me, scolded by my parents and I had to apologize to the art’s teacher.

For the mood dependent memory, the example that shows most clear is when examination. When I was in happy mood, the more points I can remember through my studies, and of course I get a flying colours on that exam. When I am in bad mood, my marks will also decrease. Here is an example, a day before the exam, I was found out by my mother that I was checking my Facebook instead of studying. Of course I am scolded by her and forced to

study to prepare the examination in the next day. I was so angry and moody at that time so I does not really study for the test I just read through the books and jut pretending that I am studying hard. But when the result came out I got a C+ grade, which is around 60 marks and the subject was history. These experience I faced what exactly show how moods effects our memory and attitude.

Concept: Social Loafing

23th March 2015

Social loafing is the phenomenon of people exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone. Social loafing occurs when someone is performing a task as part of group and its individual effort cannot be identified. Means that the social loafing group just do nothing when there is a group tasks or do something in groups. The following is the examples based on my own experiences of social loafing.

This story happened when I just came to Taylor’s university. The first week in Taylor’s is all about orientation. There is one event I remembered the most is the treasure hunt. We had a big group of around 10 person. The first game we played was rope skipping, all of us had to jump into the rope when the music starts and if anyone touched the rope it consider as challenge fail. In the first game everyone were well, all of us participates in it with full force. But when the next game starts, we had to rush from the basketball court to Arena, food court in Taylor’s, some of them were not running they just walking with a faster speed, the rest is rushing towards the venue included me, so our group just like divided into two parts. The second game was something like bowling, we had to arrange all the Vitagen’s bottles and strike them with a bowling shocks. It is just a pair of shocks rolled in a ball form. That time some of us started social loafing, they started stand behind us and watching us play the game. They does not want to participate in it maybe because of shy, tired because of running a long way? No one knows. Hence, we reached the third section, which is we had to blow out 10 ping pong balls from a basket of flour. It is not very easy. So we lined up and started to blow. I realised that the social loafing occurs on the same person, which they just simply blow and the ball never come out after they blew. They just acting like forced to do something that they does not wanted to do so. The last game we played was passing information to the whole group only using drawing. I am sure that the thing we had to pass around us is the word washing machine, because I am the representative to draw a washing machine first. Then they passed the drawing to the next person, the next person had to copy the same thing I had drawn, it repeats and repeats until the last person had to guess about what is the drawing. After I had drawn, I stand beside and looking at their drawing, some of them does not draw well, they just simple draw a rectangle and draw one circle inside ignore all the details, it is impossible to guess what is it. So we cheated, the last person’s friend come over me and asking me for the answer, I did tell her and she went quickly to pass the message to last person. So we completed all the tasks given and we did not win any places. This can clearly shows that social loafing occurs in a big group, that you does not need full force to complete a tasks because some of them will help you do so.

Sometimes I am an examples of social loafing too, the story start at almost the end of semester one of Foundation in Natural Built Environment (FNBE). At that time, that is almost 4 submission in a week, means we have to summit one project per day in that week. There are two group works and two individual tasks. When the submission date is near for example the individual tasks had to summit on Monday and there is a group submission on Tuesday. That time our group leader asked us to have a meeting on Sunday and my individual tasks have not done yet, so in that meeting I actually did not do anything and I just watching them to do and I was doing my individual tasks. After I have done my individual project then I only start helping them doing just a little things and passed for them to do. They actually stay overnight to do the project and I cannot stay overnight because I lived

quite far from Taylors and my mother came to visit me at the same time, I cannot leave her alone in the apartment and I had to go home to accompany her and had dinner with her. At that time, I was exactly a social loafing guy and I felt so guilty after that, so I did help them in Monday night. I promised I won’t do that again because I hate this kind of people too.