Discussion Question: Social Interaction

In this discussion, you will consider social interaction, including aggression and prosocial behavior as well as attraction and relationships.

First, select a book, play, television show, movie, etc., that contains adequate social interaction illustrating both a friend or romantic relationship and an example of aggression or prosocial behavior.

Provide necessary information such as the general plot and key characters for the class to understand if they are not familiar with the source. Then, complete the following:

• Interpret a depicted voluntary (i.e., friend or romantic) relationship from a social psychological perspective. Point out specific examples to illustrate the following:
  • Which of the various factors in attraction are present in this relationship?
  • Is the relationship based on friendship or love? If love, what type of love is portrayed?
• Examine a scenario from the source you selected that illustrates either aggression or prosocial behavior.
• Identify specific course concepts in your analysis, pointing out relevant theory and research. Note that you must utilize at least one relevant scholarly source in addition to your textbook for this portion of the discussion.
  • Aggression:
• Examine research that examines a possible source of aggression (e.g., the media, weapons, alcohol, environmental factors, etc.). Give specific examples.
• Explain why this particular variable is/is not harmful. How does this theory/research apply to the scenario you described?
  • Prosocial Behavior:
• Examine research on prosocial behavior, predicting who will help whom, when, and why (e.g., empathy, cultural norms, gender, religiosity, etc.).
• Assess whether this information might be useful in reducing aggression/violence. How does this theory/research apply to the scenario you described?
• For both of the above (attraction and aggression/prosocial behavior),
  • Distinguish situational factors that may influence social relations (attraction, aggression, prosocial behavior, etc.).
  • Discuss the impact of social and cultural differences on social relations (attraction, aggression, prosocial behavior, etc.).

To fully demonstrate content knowledge and critical thinking, in your Social Relations discussion,

• Interpret course concepts explicitly, applying them to your personal experiences/observations, and cite the required readings as appropriate.
• Be thorough and specific, structuring your work intentionally (with an introductory and concluding sentence or two), providing clear context, and concisely and precisely explaining relevant course concepts.
• Use personal examples to illustrate as appropriate, but do be sure to provide an objective analysis too, referencing required materials and using additional sources as needed to support your insight.
• Use your own Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) and apply in-text citations appropriately throughout your post.
  • Review APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) for more information.
• Your original post should be a minimum of 300 words.