Reference no: EM133497495

Case Study: A major lesson of social psychology is that we underestimate the effect of the situation on our daily behavior. This underestimation is often on display when we watch shows like "What would you do?" This show previously aired on ABC, but now has its own YouTube channel. When watching these clips, many of us think to ourselves, "I would never do that!"

As you watch a clip of the show for this week, please think about how it is easy to forget about situational determinants of our behavior. (And, that it takes cognitive energy to stop and recognize how the situation affects our daily behavior!)

Find a video clip from the show, "What would you do?"

You can choose from any of the videos on this page. Closed captioning is available for these videos.

Question 1: After the host has provided the background for the scenario depicted in the video, pause it and answer the following question:

1. Provide a brief description of the scenario depicted in the video.
2. Before watching the video and seeing how the people in it respond, how do you think you would respond in the same situation?

Question 2: Now, play the entire video clip. Afterward, answer these questions:

1. How did the people being filmed respond?
2. How did the situation affect people's responses? For example, think about where the scenario took place, how many observers were around, what were the characteristics of those observers, did the observers say or do anything, etc.?
3. Are you surprised by how others responded? Why or why not?