Exploring+the+actor-observer+effect

=Class activities=
 * __Activity 4: Personality traits__

Class 3A**
 * **Individual personality** |||| **George Bush's personality** ||
 * **Mean for traits checked** || **Mean for 'it depends' check** || **Mean for traits checked** || **Mean for 'it depends' check** ||
 * 11.75 || 8.25 || 14.85 || 5.42 ||

//When discussing our results, we concluded that this is an effect of "The Actor-Observer" Affect, when doing the checklist for ourselves we were more situational and when judging George Bush we were a lot more dispositional.//


 * Class 1B**
 * **Individual personality** |||| **George Bush's personality** ||
 * **Mean for traits checked** || **Mean for 'it depends' check** || **Mean for traits checked** || **Mean for 'it depends' check** ||
 * 13.25 || 6.75 || 16.75 || 3.25 ||


 * Discussion of results (do NOT read this until you have finished the above activity and had your discussion)**

Reviewing situational and dispositional factors
[|Exploring unintentional racism: The case of Tim Hanks]
 * Activity 5**

__**Class 3A**__ 1. What would be some of your thoughts about the possible reasons for Tim Hanks’ behavior? **
 * __Part I__
 * Lacked motivation, skills, drive
 * he feels left out and different
 * family reasons
 * depressed, homeless
 * mental disability
 * feels targeted as the only African American
 * wants to irritate the teacher
 * has an attitude problem
 * low self-esteem
 * 2. If you were his teacher, what might you have done with him or any student who behaved this way?**
 * Failed him
 * ask him for his point of view (why?)
 * ask friends
 * ask him to see the counselor (he missed the meetings)
 * modify assignments after speaking to him

1. How would you have reacted to these explanations? How does this affect your thoughts about the reasons for his behavior? **
 * __Part II__
 * Changed his entire perspective
 * surprise
 * feel bad for him
 * angry with bus drivers


 * 2. What would you have done next? **
 * ask why he didn’t give right number
 * why did you want to hide this?

__**Part III**__

1. Do you agree with the instructor’s conclusion that he is a racist? Explain your answer. yes because of his natural instinct, assumption that Tim didn't have skills no, because if we define racism, he was more stereotyping, but this doesn't make him racist he would have come to same conclusion if the student had been white depends on how you define racism did he make a decision on the basis of race?
 * racism - belief/doctrine that differences between the various races show superiority, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others, a negative way of thinking**

2. How is prejudice different from discrimination? For example, would you have considered the instructor racist if he had told the readmission committee about his view of Tim as lacking academic skills and the motivation to improve them? Would you consider the instructor racist if he had confronted Tim on his low motivation? prejudice is a stereotype (causal schemata model??) his report would have been on the basis of Tim's best interests his confrontation would have been in Tim's best interests as well, not on a racist basis his actions are those of a teacher why does the instructor believe he is racist? - social norms stereotyping can be a part of racism - so if you say he has judged and dismissed him on the basis of race, then he is racist because he did not consider other situational factors

3. Find someone who disagrees with you. Write out their definition of racism and compare it with yours. Do they disagree? If so, on what dimensions? Do they agree? If so, along what dimensions? Felisa's definition of racism compared to //dictionary.com's// definition - Felisa:"The act of discrimination or mistreatment towards a person of a different race, or treating people differently according to their races. dictionary.com:"Hatred or intolerance of another race". We both agree that racism is a judgement one makes of another person according to their ethnicity. The main difference in our definitions of racism is the **degree of dislike** one has towards a person of a different race **that would be considered "racism"**. Ragna -I define a racist as someone who discriminates or puts down another person depending on his or her race or ethnicities. A peer of mine, who isn’t in the class but read the article, didn’t think that the instructor was racist or bias toward Tom. They felt that the instructor had an open mind, and was simply thinking about what was best for the student, oppose to "the only reason he could be failing is because he’s of a different race". While my argument wasn’t solely on race, I did feel the instructor portrayed a little more racism than my peer reasoned, because I felt that the instructor jumped to conclusions when assuming that it was because he had lack of motivation and effort, oppose to any other reason. (eg, family troubles, friendship problems, ect)

4. How would you characterize the difference between the racism of the bus drivers and the racism of the instructor? Are both kinds equally prevalent in our society, and to what degree are they both destructive? yes - big difference insufficient knowledge

5. Can you think of any examples of racism in your experience? How are they similar to and different from this example? Was your experience nearer the “bus driver” end of the racism continuum or more like the instructor’s “racism”? Charlotte - I've never had anyone be racist towards me, but people have been racist towards my close friends. For example: In England, I had an African American friend named Tiffany. She was always very nice towards everyone, and very optimistic and chatty. But then, Hugh, a kid a grade lower than us called her that vile word: "nigger." He did this when she kept talking about her summer, and he had enough. She was very insulted afterwards, which is completely understandable. This incident which I witnessed was more of the bus driver's racism, because Hugh was conscious of doing it and he was aware he was showing hatred towards her by saying that word. This is similar to the bus driver because he is also aware of his actions, he was intentionally spraying poor Tim with mud because he was African American. It was a little different though because Hugh was verbally harassing Tiffany, while the driver was using more of a physical harassment towards Tim.

Aileen - Same as Charlotte. I have never had someone be racist towards me but I have witnessed it towards a friend of mine. When I lived in Florida my friend named Teiaja who is African American was sitting with me on the school bus. A couple of kids in the back, were making fun of her because she was the only "black" student on the bus. They screamed out horrible words such as "nigger" and they asked questions such as " why isn't the black girl sitting in the back?" My friend, Teiaja, handled it really well by filing a complaint to the principal. I believe this experience is linked towards the bus driver's racism. All the students in the back were concious of the insulting words they were using and questions. It was intentional, and they were showing hatred towards her because of her specific race. It is very different from the instructor's "racism" since his thoughts about Tim were based on his behavior in class, and not because of his specific race. The instructor had no intention to hurt Tim.Teiaja's experience is linked to Tim's experience with the bus driver's since their behavior was intentional and they were insulting him because of his race. However, the bus driver's racism is more physical since they splashed him with a puddle, whereas Teiaja's experience is a form of verbal racism.

6. Take some time to think back and see where your attitudes toward African-Americans may have come from. Do you remember the first time you met or saw an African-American? Were your views affected at all by the television, newspapers, and movies you saw as a youngster? What were your later experiences like? (Anika, Karen and Janina) Living in Malaysia for most of my life I felt incredibly comfortable with people of most Asian decent, but I think in malaysia I only met 2 different African-American families. I always wanted to be the colour of chocolate when I was young, and still want to, so I never was “racist” against African-Americans, I just had some sort of admiration, because they were so rare to me. However, if I do see African-American men, which usually happens out around Shanghai at night, I must admit that they do scare me on the first impression, and I feel incredibly intimidated. I believe it mostly has to do with my lack of communication and experiences with African-Americans. I probably feel this way because of the films and television, which is where i most often see African-Americans, and how in the olden films they mosty depict African-Americans as dangerous. Or maybe I just feel that way since i feel the same way with any other older men, around Shanghai, at night... But I really can't say much because I honestly haven't been in many situations with African-American people, however I don't think I would act any differently if I did meet somebody of that decent.


 * Karen**: The first time I saw an African-American was when I lived in Hong Kong. I was very young and naive, and I referred to them as “chocolate people”. My grandma corrected me, but she knew that I didn’t know better. Growing up, I didn’t encounter many Blacks, and therefore, didn’t know why their skin was so dark. Obtaining only very little vocabulary words, I referred to them as the color of chocolate. I later found out that the color (especially for African Americans, due to their history of discrimination) of one’s skin is a very sensitive subject, and knew better to not distinguish someone by their color, or race.

**Class 1B**
__**Part I**__
 * 1. What would be some of your thoughts about the possible reasons for Tim Hanks’ behavior? **
 * doesn’t want to be there
 * careless and ignorant
 * is it ok to make a generalization like that? With only 2 paragraphs of information?
 * There are probably both situation and dispositional factors here
 * Because he’s African American, in a racist environment, you will follow that social norm – his actions are due to this
 * It is ignorant to call him ignorant – his behavior is due to the situation not his disposition
 * But in his environment, everyone has a poor academic record
 * He seems to be deliberately doing poorly
 * He doesn’t want to try

__**Part II**__
 * 2. If you were his teacher, what might you have done with him or any student who behaved this way? **
 * tell him to get back to class
 * find out about his background – childhood trauma?
 * Talk to his parents if possible
 * Teacher has tried many things already
 * Fail him – drop him
 * Talk to his friends
 * 1. How would you have reacted to these explanations? How does this affect your thoughts about the reasons for his behavior?**
 * overwhelmed by this story
 * now consider earlier behavior normal and reasonable
 * he seems to be a good person but his situation is ‘crappy’
 * it’s not his fault – it’s situational
 * but also dispositional because he didn’t have the ‘guts’ to tell the teacher
 * situation affected disposition and this affected outcome
 * he’s overly sensitive

**2. What would you have done next?**
 * tell him to open up to you – door always open
 * share your own story with him – let him know it’s not that bad – it’s ok to present something that bad
 * share something that will make the student more comfortable with him
 * look for ways to help the situation

__**Part III**__ Finish this part for homework - bring your notes next lesson to share in class discussion

1. Do you agree with the instructor’s conclusion that he is a racist? Explain your answer.
 * not racist
 * (what does racist mean?? – someone who dislikes race?)
 * depends on definition
 * everyone uses stereotypes of character
 * he stereotyped on the basis of race

2. How is prejudice different from discrimination? For example, would you have considered the instructor racist if he had told the readmission committee about his view of Tim as lacking academic skills and the motivation to improve them? Would you consider the instructor racist if he had confronted Tim on his low motivation?
 * define discrimination (external)
 * define prejudice (internal)
 * subconsciously he is racist
 * he judged his disposition on what he saw
 * he’s prejudiced but not racist
 * if his intention was to help, then it isn't racist
 * he's not racist, he's doing his job
 * guilty for stereotyping
 * shouldn't be considered racist for not considering situational factors - this is college
 * need to ask the instructor what he would have thought of a white student in the same situation

3. Find someone who disagrees with you. Write out their definition of racism and compare it with yours. Do they disagree? If so, on what dimensions? Do they agree? If so, along what dimensions?
 * Nathan's version
 * racism is something acted upon and conscious, want to hurt or negatively affect them because of race
 * Nathan's friend thinks it's an attitude, something that you think, making a judgement on a perception, passive, not active
 * Overall point - there are different perceptions

4. How would you characterize the difference between the racism of the bus drivers and the racism of the instructor? Are both kinds equally prevalent in our society, and to what degree are they both destructive?
 * Bus drivers were racist
 * The instructor is not necessarily racist - he's stereotyping


 * Racism seems more prevalent today because people recognize it and want to talk about it
 * Reverse racism exists
 * The way we see racism today did not exist in, say the 50s, 60s and 70s

5. Can you think of any examples of racism in your experience? How are they similar to and different from this example? Was your experience nearer the “bus driver” end of the racism continuum or more like the instructor’s “racism”?
 * share stories

6. Take some time to think back and see where your attitudes toward African-Americans may have come from. Do you remember the first time you met or saw an African-American? Were your views affected at all by the television, newspapers, and movies you saw as a youngster? What were your later experiences like? Class experiences have come from:
 * friends who are African American
 * movies
 * tv
 * education
 * born in South Africa (Africans)
 * communities of African Americans or blacks who live in England