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Cultural Approach to Organization: complaints, complaints!

2008-03-28T14:38:00.002+08:00

Back in high school, I served as the secretary of YES-O, an environmental organization in my school. During the two consecutive years I served for that position( talk about loving the job), I have heard many collegial stories in the club. These stories are usually negative remarks about the officers or members of the organization.

On the first year of my service, our Vice President would usually complain how other officers get on her nerves. She would sometimes point out that the president's decision and attitude is that not effective for the club. There are other times when she goes to me, saying that one of the year level representatives fails to do her duties again.

Other officers would remark about how out vice president be very determined to make the org function well. Sometimes, our president would remark how strong the vice's personality can be.

I remember two club members also gave comments about this V.P.

“She isn't really taking over Ate Lee's(our president) job, but she's just very lenient,”

“I think she rocks. Although she could be bossy, her ideas are good and her strategy works.”

There are other sharings where some officers comment on the “displeasingness” of particular members. These other members would also tell me how that officer's actions bug her. Well, they seem to have the same feelings for each other. Haha.

It looks really funny how my co-officers and club members would complain about each other. This shows how different (and contradicting) attitudes in the club really affect how the members think and work.

These collegial stories give me a sneak- peek on how the club works(in the inside). It also provides me a view on how other members see YES-O. These would give me ideas about how they get affected by things concerning the club. Such anecdotes show the involvement of a member. They also show the culture that is YES-O.

Research Paper: Looking at the Bright Side

2008-03-28T13:17:00.002+08:00

Looking at the Bright Side

Looking at the Bright Side

(An Issue on Self-Persuasion and Cognitive Dissonance)

There are instances where people are made to do or face something which contradicts what they usually do, know or firmly live by. They find reasons, or sometimes excuses, why they have to change their beliefs or attitudes. You might have experienced this kind of problem. You may have hated or felt disappointment about this decision but you just tried to know the good points of making your decision. You might think, “Hey, I’ll just look at the bright side!”

The Communication Situation

The incident took place summer last year, when Ynes, now a UP Mindanao student, was about to enroll at the University of Sto. Tomas(UST) in Manila. She texted her father asking him to call her up. She wanted to ask his advice about the report card which she needed for enrollment. The conversation is as follows:

Dad: Wag ka na lang mag-UST

Ynes: Ha? eh gusto ko talaga e

Dad: Hindi natin mabigay yung report card mo e

Ynes: Ay... nasa UST na ako ngayon. Hindi na po talaga puwede?

Dad: Hindi din naman sure yung scholarship mo sa Salinggawi(dance troop)

Ynes: Hindi na ako mag-tuloy mag-enroll

Dad: Doon ka na lang sa UP Min

Ynes: Ay... sayang pinunta ko dito. Nakabayad na rin ako ng P5000

Dad: Mura din naman dun e

Ynes: ehh...

Dad: Wala na tayong magagawa diyan. Yun na yun e. Okay lang sayo.

Ynes: O sige. AT LEAST malapit sa bahay.

Inconsistency arises when behavior or perception disagrees to a person’s belief or attitude (Littlejohn and Foss, 2005, p. 77). This inconsistency may occur when you watch a movie in the cinema, but then, the story turns out to be cheesy. Something which deserves two thumbs down.

The given situation presents to opposing issues: 1) The want to study at UST; and 2) Incapacity to enter UST because she couldn’t pass the report card required for enrollment.

In Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Leon Festinger introduces dissonance – the distress one feels when there is “discord between behavior and belief.” The conversation shows that Ynes felt disappointment when she couldn’t enroll in UST. She had the notion that she will be studying in the college that she really wanted. However, this perception was blocked by the fact that she couldn’t enroll. Her report cards woulnd’t be passed on time for the deadline of the submission of requirements. This reality can be explained by the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance.

What followed were a series of statements where she and her father exemplify Festinger’s ways to somehow reduce dissonance.

Ynes and her father gave points to why or why not they should agree to with the dissonant behavior. People, as cited in colorado.edu, either devalue an existing belief or find a belief that will support to lessen dissonance.

The father mentioned a (somehow) negative possibility about Ynes entering UST. It is safe to say that the family planned for Ynes to apply for scholarship by joining the dance troop. This will help shorten the school expenses. Her father pointed out that the chance of acquiring the scholarship is uncertain. He then supports his statement by giving his daughter the option of enrolling at UP Mindanao. UP Min, as her dad says, has matriculation fees which are not also expensive. Thus, studying in Davao (her hometown), and not pursuing her dream college, can still aid them financially.

Ynes counters her statement by saying that it is really her desire to study in UST. Also, she enumerates the things which she has already accomplished for entering the university. Ynes mentions that she has given up money, time and energy for those finished requirements. Those efforts may just seem misused if she doesn’t enroll.

Her father they couldn’t already do anything about her efforts. They couldn’t pass the requirements. This leaves Ynes to just change mind and discard the thought of studying in UST. She concludes by just giving one of the benefits of staying in Davao. This reassures, or makes her believe, that her first perception may also provide her something that opposes her other beliefs. In her case, she uses the idea of “being close to home.” This will add up to the “bright sides” which will help her deal with the decision she made.

The greatness of dissonance depends on the importance of cognitive elements (like attitude, knowledge or belief) and the amount of elements involved in the dissonant relation. (Littlejohn and Foss).

More dissonance also occurs when there is great difficulty to reverse the situation(Griffin, 2001, p. 231). It would be more frustrating to have a bad haircut than having your hair dyed ugly because you can’t reattach the hair you lost. Well, you can try hair extensions, but that would seem impractical.

Also, when higher or more efforts are given in support to this behavior, the inconsistency felt will also rate as high. Of course, it will really displease you if some thing or place which you put a lot of effort on will crumble because of a dissonant behavior.

The dissonance experienced by Ynes increased with the importance of the beliefs that were conflicting. She may see that the factor of liking the school as very important. If not that, she might believe that the university will be the best for her. However, she may value her parents’ authority/decisions and financial practicality more than the first element.

Ynes has also put effort on going to UST and passing requirements for enrollment. She mentions this as one of her “excuses” or reasons why she doesn’t want to give up her dream. With this, Ynes expresses that her endeavors: time, money and all, have just come to waste. However, using efforts as excuses might just probably be not reasonable enough for her father to consider.

With the Ynes’ situation, the conflict she experienced is not really that difficult to reverse... or fix. She may shift on the next semester. An appeal for an extension (of passing requirements) may also be made and permitted. However, what may be frustrating for her is that if she shifted, the school may not credit the units she has earned. Other than that, she may really want to spend her first year of college in the campus. That, still, would seem as an unlikely and childish reason.

It is said in Cognitive Dissonance Theory that there is attitude change when dissonance occurs (skepdic.com). Has Ynes’ attitude really changed after agreeing to her father’s decision?

She may end up sulking and regretting her decision. Why would she trade the exciting UST and Manila life for calm UP and Davao? This situation is what psychologists call as Postdecisional dissonance. She may feel doubtful about the decision she made. To avoid feeling so depressed about her unwise decision, she may think of reasons why she shouldn’t think of lamenting. Some people might see these as lame excuses so that the person would not to worry. This incident also makes up for the statement: “Just look at the bright side!!!!”

Ynes will find new elements and beliefs to back her decision up. She may give reasons why studying in UP Mindanao and staying in Davao is a better choice. Giving (somewhat) negative remarks about the other place may just be right to put her worries at ease.

She could comment that by staying in Davao, she wouldn’t have to start all over again. Ynes may have the mindset that she will have to create a new circle of friends when she goes to Manila. She may hate the idea of being a loner or friendless.

She might also consider the fact that UP is the state university and that it produces very intellectual people. She may build a belief that people would question her if she would give up UP for UST.

As presented in the conversation, Ynes says that studying in UP will at least closer to their home. This act of support-seeking is due to a person’s tendency to yearn for homeostasis. A person prefers consistencies...thus would want to dissolve any dissonance that he encounters.(Littlejohn and Foss).

The Minimal Justification Hypothesis in the theory says that it attitude change depends on rewards earned(Griffin, 2001, pp.231-232). If Ynes receives big or many rewards for taking that decision, she may not have change in attitude. She may have made that decision to save more, be near home, have better allowance, etc. She does accomplish that. Nevertheless, there is not much dissonance to make her mind change. The idea of UST still being the most apt school for her may not yet be removed.

Festinger explains that for public compliance and private change to happen, an enough return or punishment should be given. She must first experience it, and have less rewards, to like it.

If Ynes experiences little rewards from opting for Davao, she is most likely to resolve that dissonant behavior by allowing attitude change. This would convince her to think that her previous beliefs may be discarded.

Cognitive Dissonance not only changes an attitude. Claude Steele proposed a self-affirmation approach where Ynes can think of good thoughts about herself. This “positive” way of reducing dissonance may help her forget such dissonance. Acts of denial, forgetfulness and trivialization may also bring her to decreasing the dissonance she has been having.(Griffin,236).

Ynes may think of or get involved with other activities which she is good in. She could probably engage herself to dancing or sports. Paying attention to what may boost her esteem will distract her from the dissonance which bothers her.

She may also deny her feeling of love toward what her previous ideas were. When she gains more self esteem, she would concentrate more on the good things. This could lead her to stages of denial. Ynes might also see her past dissonance as trivial when she gets preoccupied with new and engaging activities. She might think that what she used to think is already nonsense compared what she is having now.

Joel Cooper experesses that cognitive dissonance is also brought by “behaving in such a way as to feel personally responsible for bringing about an aversive event.”(Griffin, p.235). The father of Ynes may have foreseen her disappointment when he tells her about the report card. This may have brought him to ask Ynes’ opinion, or decision, about the given issue.

From what Ynes has experienced, it is not unusual to feel disappointed. Her reaction of “eh” and other excuses are in accordance to what Cognitive Dissonance Theory projects. People find ways to resolve their problems on bad decisions. They may avoid similar events, reassure themselves or rationalize their belief-opposing behaviors. Ynes reassures herself that there are things she won’t experience if she would move to Manila. Sure there are other opportunities that she would pass out with her decision, but she probably wanted safety first.

The conversation portrays how cognitive dissonance takes part in persuasion- from another person, or even with oneself.

Ynes’ father presented options which she might consider about the given situation. These persuade her to follow the path to the resolving the opposing behavior,She decided upon those options, and found that she could find no way out. Rather, she couldn’t find a way to still have that belief.... the UST dream.

One cannot conclude that her father was really against her will. He may have just provided facts she could use for postdecisional dissonance.

Ynes experiences self- persuasion when she decided not to follow her dream. It was assign of self assurance.

The usual ways to answer cognitive dissonance is through the expression of sour grapes. Ynes and other people, including I, look at the better sides when having post-decisional dissonance. Shoppers experience buyers’ remorse whenever they realize that a quality about something they bought doesn’t match their beliefs. People who receive gifts which they find displeasing would sometimes just find something they like in the present. This may be done to not show their disappointment to the giver.

Cognitive Dissonance asks people to persuade themselves to feel freedom from inner conflicts. It persuades people to forget, discard or devalue their beliefs, attitude and knowledge to match the public’s behavior.

Ynes decided and self-persuaded her dissonance to adapt to the behavior or remove the conflicts which she was experiencing. “Hey, I’ll just look at the bright side!”

Works Cited:

Carrol, Robert Todd. Cognitive Dissonance. Skepdic.com/cognitivedissonance.html. 2007
Coon, Dennis. Essentials of Psychology. 9^th ed. Thompson learning inc. 2003.
Cognitivedissonance.changing minds.com.org/explanations/theories/cognitive_dissonance.htm
Cognitive Dissonace Theory. www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourse/papers/app_papers/Jean.htm
Foss, Karen and Littlejohn, Stephen W. Theories of Human Communication. 8th eds. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2005.
Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory. 6th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill, 2006.
Kassin, Saul. Psychology.3^rd ed. Prentice-Hall Inc. 2001.

Research Proposal

2008-02-05T10:10:00.001+08:00

Title: Receivers' Undesirable Reactions to Gifts and Its Effects to the Givers

Significance

The act of giving gifts has been practiced throughout the years. There are times when receivers would have undesirable remarks to the gifts they received. This study would help gift givers prepare and understand such occurrence -so as not to feel great disappointment.
Receivers of gifts are free to feel anything they want about a gift they have received. There may be an event where in his remark would not be pleasant to the eyes and/or ears of the one who gave it. Information gathered from this research would be beneficial in providing Receivers options on how to react properly, despite the harshness his comments he has though of.
The study will also be substantial in providing tips on how to prevent undesirable remarks from the presents a person gives.

Background

There have been occasions when people would give gifts which are not entirely pleasing to the receivers eyes. Other gifts may not be displeasing, but a few undesirable comments( e.g. "I already have a similar t-shirt") may also not sound well to the gift-giver. The researchers have observed

Conceptual Framework

The act Gift-giving dates back in early societies(JackandFriends.com). This from of social interaction is to signify the importance of someone, "to receive specials favors or even, impress"(give-presents-find-gifts.co.uk).

Giving gifts functions to establish, define, repair, maintain, or enhance interpersonal relationships(The shadow side of social gift-giving: miscommunication and failed gifts.)

These means that this social interaction can contribute to a persons non-verbal communication.Although the thought of "Trojan Horse" gifts may linger in the minds of many, that is less likely to happen.

A Gift-giver may have the best intention in giving a gift, but there are occasions where a given gift may garner undesirable remarks from the person he gave it to. This is true and has also been found in a research reported on CBC news("Researchers Explain the Science Behind Bad Gift Giving").

The displeased or undesired remarks may be kept secret from the giver, but what if certain slips of the tongue occur? Or the person overhears such bad remark?

Objectives

This research aims to attain the following:
Discover the four most-heard and used undesirable remarks of receivers to gifts.
Gather the four most-experienced effects of above mentioned phenomenon to the gift-givers.
Understand this communication conflict
Derive concepts and rules from this kind of social interaction.

Methodology Information for this study shall be acquired through Descriptive Research in UP Mindanao. The following actions to provide such data will be done by means of:

Surveys. These shall be conducted in UP Mindanao, while considering the age range of 15 to 20.
Interviews. Interviews shall be gathered from people who have firs-hand experience on such phenomenon.
Research. Further research( through Internet and Literary/ Published sources) shall be done to provide more information.

Bibliography

Jackandfriends.com.http://www.jackandfriends.com/store/customer/pages.php?pageid=31."THE HISTORY OF GIFT GIVING". Paul Harris.

give-presents-find-gifts.co.uk. http://www.give-presents-find-gifts.co.uk/gifts.html. "History of Gift Giving"
CBC NEWS.http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2006/12/06/consumer-gifts.html."Researchers explain the science behind bad gift giving".
High Beam Encyclopedia. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-152739424.html."The shadow side of social gift-giving: miscommunication and failed gifts."Sunwolf, J.D.

Gift receiving blues... (a change of topic)

2008-02-03T22:28:00.000+08:00

Receiving gifts is one of the very splendid things one can experience during special occasions (like birthdays, Christmas or Anniversaries) or even during those normal days (from an admirer, perhaps).Well, who wouldn’t want to receive some present right?
But, what if you don’t like the present the person gave you?
This shall be the new topic of my coma101 research…
Not-so-okay Reactions to Receiving Gifts and its effects on the Giver and the Receiver

…oh gosh, I could be so fickle, sometimes. :p

references:

homework: persuasion via PERIPHERAL ROUTE

2008-01-28T16:14:00.000+08:00

the ad: KFC Garlic Chicken Meal Advertisement

Peripheral Route:
this ad travels through the Peripheral route because it attracts viewers by appealing to their senses.
It grabs attention by arousing the viewers curiosity. The first part of the plot didn't show the meal, so the viewers would wonder what the actress was referring to as "mabango" and "may bawang ba yan?".
The pictures of the meal were well planned because it really made people's mouth water.

A brief input on what was in the meal also made the viewers crave for the product.
The curiosity-arousing plot, "yummy-looking" pictures and the idea that KFC DOES serve "finger licking good" chicken makes the Ad persuasive. It may earn the people's vote of approval!

homework: persuasion via CENTRAL ROUTE

2008-01-27T18:58:00.000+08:00

the ad: Recent Safeguard Ad

*Click Picture for larger image

Goal:

persuade people to use their product
persuade people to wash hands regularly

Motivated to Process: YES
Personal Relevance: Health is wealth, as the mantra says. The soap is relevant to everyone so as to prevent sickness and maintain good hygeine
Need for cognition:

Why should we wash our hands regularly?
How can the soap prevent diseases?
is this proven effective?

Able to Process:YES
Free from distraction: Yes, the issue,as well as the animations, makes people tune in to the ad
Sufficient knowledge:
USE of FACTS:

Supplied causes of diseases
Proven by Pamet
Supplied ingredients of the soap that would prevent diseases.

Type of Cognitive Processing:
Argument quality: generated favorable thoughts -STRONG

_____

The Advertisment travels through the central route because it elaborated facts and ideas. It also provides enough reasons and a good argument on why one should wash his hands regularly.

homework: The Relationship Help 2

2008-01-17T10:59:00.000+08:00

Letter no.2

Dear Anonymous,

Oh yes, it's those family problems again.

Mom treating you like a baby

Dad complains about you doing something.

Sister acting like she needs attention.

I hear you, bro. You might look at your family and see that it really needs a “fix up.”

Family relationships REALLY need balance. And most often, balancing is not easy. It needs effort, understanding and a lot of outsider's perspective. The clash of your different traits and opinions also contribute to this imbalance.

Every action (or even NO ACTION) affects our relationships (And we are not usually aware of it!) Every step we make contributes to the relationships we have. The counter-action of the persons affected depend on how they just view the situation.

Interactional View of Communication implies that families are highly resistant to change. When there is a “personality reinvention” within a member, other family members would initially resist it. They would stay the same, pretend it's not there, or act on it in order to put the family back to what it was like before.

Your mom denies that you have grown up (independently?)

Father probably wants to puts things back to the way things were... or are supposed to be (you, a non-smoker?)

Sister reacts differently...probably because all the attention your parents used to give her, suddenly got divided.

Their reactions all depended on what actions have happened since you left and came back. These are their counter-actions. These, they assume, would help keep your family balanced again.

In order to fix up this dilemma, try to do something they call "reframing". This act involves going outside the your family's box. By doing so, you will be able to get some OUTSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE. A view from the outside would help you view the situations objectively. Lose your subjectiveness.

Do this with your family. This is a time for an open forum where the members can also give her ideas about your family. Talk, discuss and listen!

Besides, running away isn't gonna help that much insolving the problem.

Kudos!

_TRH

homework: The Relationship Help

2008-01-17T10:13:00.000+08:00

Letter no. 1

Dear Jim,

It seems that your really puzzled there... but I have to tell you, it's okay!

Relationships, especially the one you have with Shelley, undergo contradictions. There are always contradictions between your personalities, wants and needs. It's very normal! There is even a theory about this phenomenon.

Relational Dialectics (the theory about contradictions in Relationships) state that there will always be pushes and pulls in relationships.

In a couple's relationship, there is still a feeling or a need of independence even though you (two) are "one." She wants togetherness, but that doesn't mean that giving up the "sense of self" is required. She still wants to keep her sense of self... her private self.

There is the need of a "me" and a "we".

Relationships also get into openness and closeness conflicts. There are things that you just don't opt or want
to disclose! To express or not to.

She is picky about the stories, traits or things that she want to talk about. And I bet that you also act that way. A Communication theory called Social Penetration explains that we choose what we say and disclose to someone. This is due to the fact that the we tend think of what the person might conclude if we would show him a personality. So, people would tend to play safe about what the disclose to people.

Shelley is just "on guard" of what she wants to express(to you). Yes, you might have something deeper than the usual "dating friends," but there are just somethings that she (still) isn't ready to talk about. It's just natural.

So, I advise you to just sneak up on her place and read her diary. HAHAHA, Just kidding! Why not spend more time with her. "Dialectical tension provides opportunity for dialog", as said in Relation Talk more (and more!) often. Make feel more at ease! Maybe that would help soften up her heart, thus making her open up some more!

Kudos!

_TRH

art of teasing

2008-01-11T13:23:00.000+08:00

Long before college

Before high school

Or even (before) being able to multiply or spell Czechoslovakia,

You have probably teased, or been teased by some playmate.

Teasing...it has been part of life... during childhood and even adulthood.
It is a communication act... involving verbal communication, non-verbal acts, and invasion of private space.

I aim to study Teasing

why people tease

different ways on how people tease

why people react differently when being teased

The focus of the study is on college students( at the age of 15 to 19)
Teasing with peers

The significance of this study is for discovering reasons why some people are good teasers; why people get “pikon” easily... and to what types of teasing do people (of that age range) react most violently or excessively(if there is such a term :) )

This may also provide me some Psychological

Review and research of related articles, interviews and (random) surveys shall be the basis of this study.

References

The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication
By William R. Cupach, Brian H. Spitzberg
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20060721-000005.html

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/action/doSearch

have a seat

2008-01-01T14:15:00.000+08:00

Waiting in a clinic or terminal is such a learning experience...
Yes, it may be quite boring...
Such inescapable boredom will lead us to being observant...

We are subjected to just observing the people around us...
What else can we do?

These people become victims of our queer eyes...
And yes, we look at their differences... similarities...

the signals they send through their BODY LANGUAGE...

I do this whenever I would wait in the airport terminal or clinics...
and one thing always catches my attention...

The thing I that I chose to be my topic for COMA101
(wow, such a dramatic introduction!!)

people's sitting position!!!

Funny... these sitting positions seem to tell something about a person...

It may tell something about their mood...
personality...
trait...

We express ourselves in the way they sit...
and the funny thing is...
Sometimes... or maybe USUALLY

we aren't even concious about it...

It would be nice to study about sitting positions...
How... interesting

and I'll have this project sitting down :)

this is y coma101 blog

2007-12-17T18:00:00.000+08:00

what to write about?
I still don't have any idea...hm... hm...