Assignment:
What is Yuri's view of Americans?
1. The Theory of Reasoned Action: The theory of reasoned action states that the major predictors of behavior are attitudes toward the behavior, subjective social norms, and perceived behavioral control. A person's attitude toward a behavior is a function of the desirability of the possible outcomes weighted by the likelihood of those outcomes. Subjective social norms reflect one's perception of whether significant others approve of the behavior weighted by the motivation to conform to those expectations. Perceived behavioral control indicates the degree to which one feels that they have control over their behavioral outcomes in a specific situation. How do these variables come into play in a woman's decision to use birth control pills?
2.The Justification of Effort: Dangerous hazing practices persist despite efforts to eliminate them. Why? Explain these rituals in terms of cognitive dissonance theory, and stay away from any discussion of differences between men and women and hazing rituals as there are many examples of females showing the same sorts of behaviors in different conditions.
3. Read the following anecdote:
Yuri, an exchange student from Russia, was gratified by the warm reception he got upon his arrival in the US. He was greeted by broad smiles and was frequently invited into homes for meals. He was invited to stay in American homes several times. At cultural events, people would say to Yuri, "You must drop by and see us sometime."
Yuri called home and enthusiastically told his family, which "Americans are so friendly! We are going to be close friends and see a lot of each other."
Now, answer the following questions:
1. What is Yuri's view of Americans, and on what does he base this perception?
2. Is Yuri's perception accurate? Will the friendly Americans remember the invitations for Yuri to stop by? How durable are friendships with strangers in the US?
3. Are the signs of friendship the same everywhere? To what do friendships obligate you in the US? Are the obligations the same in other cultures?