The end of the semester approaches and slowly things are coming to a head. Assignments are due, exams are looming and decisions need to be made. I wisely decided to invest my last three days in going out, getting back late and sleeping too little. I truly am the epitome of self-control and restraint.
Actually, I’m not being very fair to myself. I was able to go out these last three days because I’m well on target and going strong. I’ve been (scarily enough) working ahead these last few weeks and though there is certainly work left to be done, the three days of misbehaviour won’t hurt too much.
But today I’d better get back to it – specifically by working on one assignment. I have to create a research proposal for one of my classes. In order to create that I need to first think of something to research, so that I can write a research proposal about it and that’s the clinch. There is so much out there that I want to look into, that I really don’t know where to begin.
Do I want to investigate our inability to read other people? Do I want to explore how bad we are at understanding what other people mean? This field has certainly been sparking my interest in these last few months – mostly by filling me with self-doubt and uncertainty.
Do I want to look into the Halo effect, the effect whereby everybody thinks they are better than the average? Do I want to explore the realisation that the normal people see the world incorrectly and have things by the wrong end, while depressed people seem to be more accurate in their predictions of the future?
Or would I rather continue my investigation into whether I can dismantle ‘Terror Management Theory’ a grand or encompassing Social Psychology theory that I don’t place a great deal of stock in (and have already spent a great deal of time working on in the last block)?
Then there is consciousness, which sparked my interest through a discussion I had in my café on Thursday (and one thing everybody has been saying to me is to use things from daily life. This discussion certainly qualified, though admittedly it wouldn’t have belonged in most people’s daily life debates).
And what about our understanding of beauty? That’s pretty fascinating as well, especially since there seem to be some rules there that decide who’s beautiful – but we’re not yet sure what they are.
So many ideas! Now I just need to whittle it down and start thinking of something original to do with what’s left.
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5 years ago
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Just saw a show on the History Channel about Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. Game Theory sounds like something right up your alley.
ReplyDeleteYes, game theory is absolutely fascinating. More a sociology and economics thing, but still applied in Soc Psy.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why, but this post suddenly sparked a long-forgotten memory of how you convinced me that you could read my aura. Do you remember that? Must have only been days into your second year :-)!
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember that! I put you against a white wall and told you that the light around you was your aura. Then I made up some absolute bull about what it was telling me about you and you bought it hook, line and sinker.
ReplyDeleteI think I remember you being quite angry at me when you discovered I was just yanking your chain.
Well now hang on a minute - I DIDN'T buy it at all, though if you prefer to remember it that way then that's ok honey :-).
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you got me to stand against that wall in the first place.
Memories change. Yours more than mine, I'm sure. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat I do remember is that you were relatively gullible at the time. You can't be blamed, of course, you were only 18 at the time. It was a bit of a sport for me, telling tall tales and seeing if you'd bite.
Was I an asshole back then? It sure does seem like it, in hindsight!
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ReplyDeleteI'd say I was rather naive but not stupid. And no you weren't an asshole. Not as much as some turned out to be anyway ;-).
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