Instruction for Part 3:

It appears that social distancing measures currently implemented are profoundly influencing people’s everyday life. Identify one specific change relevant to social psychology that you see in relation to social distancing. You may use the following questions to identify a change to examine:

- Are there any changes in how friends relate and support one another?

- Any changes in how people work or study in a group? Any changes in productivity?

- Any changes in people’s loneliness?

- Any changes in social identity or self-concept?

- Any changes in how people relate to strangers?

- Any changes in stereotype, prejudice, discrimination?

These questions are only to guide your thinking. It’s fine not to use any of them. Feel free to examine any other suitable change.

Questions to answer:

1. What specific change are you examining? Describe the change clearly and concretely. Demonstrate that this change is not just your personal observation––you can use any kind of evidence to show that others have a similar observation, for example you can cite a media report, or conduct an informal poll with your family members or friends providing some details on how this poll was conducted (e.g., number of people asked, specific questions used).

2. How does this change relate to social psychology? Identify a specific topic in social psychology that is relevant. For example, if you think people working in a team is more likely to slack off now, you could relate that to social loafing (you can not use this example).

3. Is this change something new or already understood in social psychology? For example, let’s say you think people have become more prejudiced towards some social groups with social distancing. Could a social psychologist explain this change using research findings already available to them? Follow one of the two options below.

Option A. Explain how the change is new to social psychology. Describe a specific research finding that is relevant yet fails to explain the change you are examining. This research finding should be described with some details (i.e., a brief summary of the background and methodology used). Your goal is to clearly discuss how this research finding comes close yet fails to explain the change you are examining.

Option B. Explain how the change is already understood in social psychology. Describe a specific research finding that can be applied to the change you are examining. This research finding should be described with some details (same as Option A). Your goal is to clearly discuss how this research finding applies to the change you are examining.