Psychology of Everyday Life: Sleep, Social, and Behavioral Analysis

This report delves into the psychology of everyday life, presenting three distinct case studies. The first explores Dr. Butler's experiment investigating the impact of food consumption on sleep patterns, utilizing undergraduate students to analyze the effects of healthy and unhealthy diets on dreamy sleep. The second case study examines social psychological approaches, particularly focusing on conformity and its influence on individual behavior, incorporating perspectives like sociocultural, evolutionary, social-cognitive, and social learning. The report also analyzes the behaviorist perspective, focusing on operant conditioning and its role in shaping behavior, discussing its strengths and limitations. The third case study addresses the reliability of eyewitness testimony, examining the factors that can influence memory and recall in the context of a robbery. The report provides an in-depth analysis of each case study, discussing variables, research methods, and the implications of the findings, offering insights into the complexities of human behavior and the application of psychological principles.

Psychology of
Everyday Life

Table of Content.
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1...............................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 2:.............................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 3...............................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Psychology is the study of the conscious and insensible behaviour of the individuals. This
project report consist of three different case report which consist of three different scenarios.
First case study provides the detail on Dr. butlers experiments which is performed to test the
effect of appetite on dreamy sleep which is studied while evaluating different undergraduates
actions on healthy and unhealthy food. In second scene different psychological and behavioural
approach of individuals is studied when they are influenced to the particular environment. Third
approach of the project report consist of the role of eye witness in the robbery is studied. This
report which provide the role of police in influencing the thought process of past eye witness
case outcome (Zerón-Rugerio and et. al., 2022).
MAIN BODY
QUESTION 1
Dr. Butler was the psychologist who used the experiment to study the effect of food on
dreamy sleep. Butler wants to study the alteration in every day physiological sleep cycle due to
human action so they incorporated the experiment management for almost 1 month duration.
Main aim of the Butler is to examine the change in sleeping routine due to alteration in food
form or difference in consumption time. To demeanour the plan of action for experiment,
undergraduates students were used where the faction of students were divided into two different
group. However, first group comprise of 20 males merged with around 5 females. They were
provided with the junk foods before their bedtime. And the other group contain males and
females in the ratio of 15 and 10 respectively. They were supplied with the fresh healthy food
regime before their bed time. To analyse the result of long experiment conclusion weekly
feedbacks were taken from the students to understand either they had a dream sleep or not. Since
Butler was fond of the dreamy sleep so they have probe the research to measure the quantitative
and prompt role of food on delighted sleep (Lentz and Brown, 2019).
Variable is the quantity element that is likely to be diverge due to many constituents in
the experiment. Dependent variable is the variable that is effected usually due to alteration in
independent variable of the research. They are the consequence or the conclusion caused due to
the independent variable. These are the quantity which depend on various experimentation
factors. For example students exam result is dependent on the amount of study they had done or
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their concentration power and many more. In this study the dependent variable is sleep. As sleep
occurrence depend on the kind of food consumed by the individuals (Reutrakul and Van Cauter,
2018).
Independent variable are the variable that are the one which are not altered due to effect
of any other factors. These are the element of the experiment that can be modify or changed by
the experimenter. The change in independent variable will always influence the the dependent
variable of the research. In this case study, Dr. Butler used the independent variable are appetite
and the gender. Therefore, change in appetite will alter the dreamy sleep of the individuals. Sleep
is also dependent on the gender. This is seen because male and female have variation in their
circadian rhythm, body operation and hormone liberation which effects the dreamy sleep of the
individuals. It has been seen that women have more fragmented sleep than men (Ji and et. al.,
2019).
Extraneous variables are the factor which not only effect the sleep which is dependable
variable but it also effects the appetite consumption which is the in-dependable variable.
Extraneous variable in this experiment is Dr. Butler's case study is Undergraduate students and
the magnitude of food that have been consumed by them before their sleeping routine. So these
are the elements of the experiment that is need to be in commanding form till the experiments
continue. They can change the research result as if the food quantity is enhanced then it might
effects the cardiac rhythm which will negatively effect the dreamy sleep. If the experiment is
performed on elderly individuals and consuming junk food or even consuming late in night will
effect their health conditions majorly and in case of graduates only discomfort is measured
(Morin, Hozer and Costemale-Lacoste, 2018).
(Source : Forbes health)
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Since it is know that to analyse the experiment accurate result, the weekly feedbacks
were taken by the Dr. Butler of the undergraduate individuals. The question that experimenter
must have asked them might be like :
 How much did the individuals have slept?.
 Was the sleep dreamy or not?.
 Did their was any disturbance in sleep due to the discomfort cause due to eating habit?.
 This may includes did you suffer with any alteration in sleep cycle?.
 Does the eating effected your daily body regime and working?.
 Do you remember you dreams?.
 Does the alteration seen in their daily sleep time due to the food routine they are
following?.
 How you feel that these changes have a positive or negative impact on your body?
Quantitative research is the study that performs scientific research while addressing the
quantitative data. During these research studies the result outcomes are examined based on the
data and feedback fall out during the experiment last. These quantitative data provides the
evidenced on how the different individuals behave or feel depending on their age or gender when
administered them variation in food type ahead bedtime. The strength of this study is experiment
or can take in depth feedbacks about their feeling. To evaluate the role of factors through
different adaptability can be studied (Caroleo and et. al., 2019).
QUESTION 2:
Social Psychological approach and the concept of conformity:
Social Psychology involves scientific methods which explains the influence of presence
of humans over the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of an individual. Social psychology also
explain about the influence of social environment on understanding of each person's behaviour.
Social psychology embrace a range of social topics like: group behaviour, social perceptions,
leadership, conformity, non-verbal behaviour, aggression of individuals, prejudice. To
understand the social behaviour, one needs to understand social perception and social interaction
as social influences are not the only factor which can effect an individual's behaviour.
Conformity also can be included with social psychology to understand the behaviour changes
with influence of group. Conformity is the act of changes in one's behaviour in order to go along
with the surrounding people. It is linked with adapting changes or agreeing or acting like
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majority of people or a specific group to be referred as normal by them (Mallinson and Hatemi,
2018).
Social psychologist organise public health programme and promotions by using social
psychology approaches. These social psychological approaches examine an individual's
behaviour and identify the factors responsible it. Approaches of social psychology involves
following perspectives:
 Sociocultural perspectives: This perspective shows the importance of social rules,
norms and culture for measuring the social behaviour. For example, culture,
family, parents etc. are responsible for an individual's functioning.
 Evolutionary Perspectives: This perspective is the contrast to social perspectives
as it emphasis on genetic inheritance for social behaviour. The perspective says,
inherent behaviour of natural selection of an individual is responsible for his
adaptation of psychological traits, memory or perception. For example, to
examine the aggression behaviour of an individual, a psychologies using this
perspective would look about influence of genetics and evolution over this
behaviour.
 Social- cognitive Perspectives: This perspective involves information processing
model of social behaviour. The model is about observing, interpreting and judging
other's behaviour.
 Social Learning Perspective: The perspective says that modelling and
observation are two factors which play a primary role in learning. As per this,
behaviour is outcome of observation as well as behaviour is learnt through other
people's behaviour like mimicking.
These Psychological approaches are important in evaluating an individual's behaviour by
examining his social behaviour, family and through observation. For example, social
psychologist use these approaches in understanding the behaviour of criminals, to identify the
substance abuse among students etc (Baumeister and Bushman, 2020).
Beside usefulness of social psychology in wide range of fields, it have some critics. The
approach is criticized on being stifle, unrealistic and artificial. The critics does not always stand
for negative manner but is also means for questioning the existence and theory and also for
opinions of other. Critic is an attempt for evaluating the worth of social psychology approaches
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in realistic situations. Positive critics work as a catalyst for adapting the approaches. Critics for
social psychological approaches are based on the likelihood of making a correct assumptions as
the results may not always be correct with observations. It is mainly argued for its effectiveness
and logical explanation as information gathering have effect of social influences which might
possibly produce the incorrect judgement. An example from a study illustrates the social
psychology approach, which is: A guy explained his aggressive behaviour with three terms that
is pain, verbal abuse and loss of control. He explained that once he was driving while having
contact lens and a fibre piece stuck in between his lens and eye. He got angry and cussed , he
pulled off the road and took his lens out. Another day, verbal attack pressed his anger. He
claimed that being in hurry and out of control also made him angry (Examples illustrating Social
Psychological Concepts, 2013). The social cultural approach is beneficial when the aggression
behaviour of him is required to be justified.
The Behaviourist approach and the concept of operant conditioning:
The Behavioural approach says that human behaviour is a learning outcome and can be
changed or unlearned with surrounding. Behaviourism is an aspect of measurable for human
behaviour and so in any conditions when behaviour is unacceptable it can be unlearned. The
behaviourist approach is a learning theory which says that behaviour of all kinds are outcomes of
interaction with atmosphere via process of conditioning. Behaviour of an individual is simply the
response towards an environmental stimuli. Behaviour learning is categorise4d into three
categorise which are: Conditioning, operant conditioning and observation. Operant conditioning
is also referred as instrumental conditioning, it is a process of learning of humans and animals
under which they are praised for their good behaviour and discouraged for their unwanted
behaviour by means of rewards and punishments. The concept behind operant conditioning is
that a stimulus is responsible for positive or negative behaviour of individuals which further
leads to consequences (Rosal, 2018).
Behaviourist psychology approaches assist in estimating and controlling behaviour. The
behaviourism approaches have two subsets, which are:
Methodological behaviourism: This behavioural approach in psychology includes believes that
human beings are similar with other living animal and studying the behaviour is most effective
method for understanding the psychology and behaviour of an individual.
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Racial behaviourism: This approach agrees with ideas of methodological behaviourism but
includes idea that all living animals and humans have inherent behaviour which have a
significant part in their behaviour (Bunge, 2018).
The behaviourist approaches account for changing the behaviour of an individual in a
desirable way but it have some critics which raises the questions for its realistic approaches. One
of the major critic on behavioural approaches was that it does not make account for type of
learning without using any kind of punishment or reinforcement. Many people and animals don't
adapt environmental conditions and new information. Using reinforcement may become
responsible for their adverse behaviour. Another argument which is being done over the
approaches of behaviourist theory is about its reductionist. Which says that the approach ignores
the facts which can't be observed like internal thoughts and cognitive biases. An example for
illustrating the behaviourism from a study explains about the behaviourism of Fishbein who says
no to steroids because of his strong behavioural intention (Examples illustrating Social
Psychological Concepts, 2013). Behaviourist approaches significantly produces strong behaviour
intentions which have long lasting effect over the nature of person.
QUESTION 3
The provided case study is about an individual named Samantha who witnessed an armed
robbery at a mall therefore, she is in the list list of witnesses for the incidence. Being a witness
she has to visit the police station to give her testimony on the case but she was summoned by the
police a week later the incident took place. When she reached the police station she had to wait
in a room where the other witnesses of the incident were also waiting there. She had to wait for a
while with the other witnesses before she was called by the superintendent to give the testimony.
There she was interviewed by the interrogator about the incident and she was also asked about
the physical appearances of the robbers(Wang and et.al., 2022).. After the interrogation she was
made to look at a few mugshots in case of she could recognise any of them being involved in the
robbery. The important characters of the case study involve Samantha, the superintendent and
other police staff, and the other witnesses. The experiment in the case study aims at identifying
the effect of the behaviour of the interrogators on the psychology of the witness and the
preciseness of the testimony that will be provided by him or her. The group that is being targeted
by this experiment is the witnesses of various crimes.
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There are several factors that can have an effect on the testimony that Samantha will
provide to the police. Firstly, the person who witnesses a crime is already in a state of fear that
might result in denial of the witness to provide any information about the crime. Secondly, even
a normal individual becomes anxious about visiting a police station, so a witness to a crime is
very much likely to be anxious about being interrogated by the police. Another factor that can
affect the testimony of the witness is the treatment received by him or her in the police station
and the behaviour of the police staff with the witness(Wang and et.al., 2022).. Along with this, the
questions of the interrogator and their relevance to the incident also affects the witness's
testimony. If during the interrogation the witness is provided with misleading or improperly
worded questions then it can result in modification or changes in the testimony provided by the
witness. These all factors can have a direct effect on the psychology of the witness and thus can
result in hampering the exact information that is required by the witness to be provided to the
police.
As Samantha's testimony depend on the factors mentioned above, so keeping track of all
these factors to be in favour of Samantha can result if easy retrieval of the exact information
about the crime. The police staff can assure Samantha about her safety by providing her security
so that she is not afraid of being a witness for the crime. By providing Samantha with the
security can result in building faith in the mind of Samantha for the law enforcement team and
will motivate her to be a part of the process of bringing justice to the subjects of robbery. The
experiment conducted by Scott and Johnson, reveals that anxiety and stress can have negative
impacts on the testimony of the witnesses(Marr and et.al., 2021). Therefore, the police staff can
also behave with the witnesses in such a way that do not elevate the stress and anxiety of the
witnesses. The efforts from the side of police officers to make the witness feel safe and behaving
humble and supportively with the witnesses can indeed result in retrieval of a more precise
testimony from the witnesses.
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(Source: Webdonuts)
Another factor which is mentioned above to have an effect on the testimony by the
witnesses is the language or wordings used by the interrogator while asking questions. The
questions framed for the interrogation also affects the preciseness of the testimony. The effect of
the language and questions used for the interrogation on the testimony is explained by the
“Schema theory” which was used by Loftus and Palmer in 1974. The study was based upon the
cognitive psychology of the eye witnesses. The study aimed at identifying the effect of post
event information on the memory of incidence of the witnesses. The concept of this study was
that the memory of the witness can be controlled by influenced by the information that is
provided to them during the interrogation process(Loftus, 2019).
Loftus and Palmer designed two experiments, among which the first one included 45
undergraduates and the second one included 150 undergraduates. In experiment 1, the
independent and dependent variables are verb and the estimate of speed by the participant
respectively. The critical question in this experiment was “About how fast were the cars going
when they “VERB”each other?” . The participants were made to see the same 7 clips from
various traffic accidents and were provided with verbs-”smashed”, “collided”, “contacted”,
“bumped” and “hit”
In experiment 2 the 150 participants were made to see a 1 minute video between which a
4 second clip included only car crashes and then they asked to describe the incident and answer a
questions. The question asked by the first group of 50 was “About how fast were the cars going
when they smashed into each other?” (Loftus, 2018). The second group was asked “About how
fast were the cars going when they hit each other” and the third group of 50 was not asked about
the speed of the vehicle. After one week all the individuals were asked another question “Did
you see any broken glass – Yes/No?”
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(Source: Weebly)
As per the results obtained, the possible reasons for the speed estimates by the
participants of experiment1 were actual distortion of the memory and the second was no
distortion of the memory and the speed estimation was based on the verb used.
(Source: Amazon S3)
The result of experiment 2 were based on the the answer of the question that was asked
after one week. The participants who said yes to seeing a broken glass, their memory has been
distorted. This proves that the post incident information can definitely have effect on the mind of
the witness . This will affect the memory of the eye witness about the incident and thus can
modify the testimony.
CONCLUSION
From the above project report it has been concluded that the role of thought process in
influencing the quality of living. Role of psychology in living is it provides the individuals the
path to make a decision what action to do and when to do and this thought process will alter the
behaviour mode of the individuals. Additionally, also mooted about the Samantha who has
witnessed the robbery and various factors that the police have used to increase the accuracy of
the testimony that Samantha has witnessed.
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