Chris Drew (PhD), Author at Helpful Professor

Ecological Perspective: Definition and Examples

The ecological perspective is a theoretical and practical approach to the social sciences that emphasizes the interactions between an individual and their environment. This perspective views individuals as active agents who engage in reciprocal relationships with their physical, social, and cultural contexts. The ecological perspective indicates that psychological factors can not be seen in isolation […]

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Interest Convergence: Definition and Examples

Interest convergence is a concept developed by Derrick Bell that describes the idea that progress toward racial equality only occurs when the interests of dominant and subordinate groups converge. In other words, positive change for marginalized communities only happens when it benefits those in power as well. For instance, we can examine the emergence of

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Homogenous Society: Definition and Examples

A homogenous society is one where people share a largely similar outlook. In these societies, there is one dominant way of thinking and acting, which is shared by most people. Homogeneity in cultures is often the result of geographical isolation, shared cultural history, or government policies. Examples include Japan, Native American Tribes, North Korea, etc.

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17 Implicit Bias Examples

An implicit bias is an automatic and unconscious attitude that affects a person’s judgment, decision, or behavior. Because the bias operates on an unconscious level, it can have effects in which people are completely unaware. Greenwald and Banaji (1995) are often credited with offering a formal definition of implicit bias: “… introspectively unidentified (or inaccurately

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12 Belief Bias Examples

Belief bias refers to the tendency to assess information in a way that aligns with our existing views. So, for example, when we come across a piece of political information that suits our ideology, we are more likely to believe that it is true. Likewise, we are prone to reject information that contradicts our beliefs.

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Mental Filtering: Definition and Examples

Mental filtering is a type of negative thinking pattern where a person focuses only on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive. It is also known as cognitive filtering, negativity bias, or selective abstraction. For example, let’s say a student receives a positive report card with good grades in most subjects, but

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Transitive Inference: Examples and Definition

Transitive interference, also known as transitivity, refers to the process of inferring the relationship between two items based on their relationships with a third item. For example, imagine you meet three people: Alice, Bob, and Carrie. Alice tells you she is friends with Bob, and Bob tells you he is friends with Carrie. Through transitive

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Dispositional factors: Definition and Examples

Dispositional factors are internal factors that influence our actions. These include personality traits, biological makeup, expertise, etc. They tend to be relatively stable throughout your life and influence your actions and reactions in situations. Dispositional factors are contrasted with situational factors, which are outside/environmental factors that influence behavior. Situational factors are factors outside of ourselves

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15 Scientific Method Examples

The scientific method is a structured and systematic approach to investigating natural phenomena using empirical evidence. The scientific method has been a lynchpin for rapid improvements in human development. It has been an invaluable procedure for testing and improving upon human ingenuity. It’s led to amazing scientific, technological, and medical breakthroughs. Some common steps in

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15 Self-fulfilling Prophecy Examples

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a psychological phenomenon whereby an individual ‘predicts’ or expects that a future event will happen, and ultimately that event manifests due to the individual’s resulting behavior that has aligned to fulfill said belief. That is, one’s ‘prediction’ or expectation comes true because one anticipates that it will. The behaviors that lead

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