Psy 324: Advanced Social Psychology
Miami University
Living in a Social World
Psy 324: Advanced Social Psychology
Miami University
Altruism with Consequence: "Hand-transplant Recipient Can Wiggle Fingertips" -- January, 1999. Analysis by Scott Constable, Mandy Grantz, Lucy Klaber & Michael Wise
A tragic accident involving a fire cracker 13 years ago left
Matthew Scott without his left hand. Through
advances in transplant technology, Scott
received the first successful hand transplant
in the United States. He received the hand on January 24 and by the 27th he was able to wiggle his fingers.
This was made possible because the donor's family consented to
the transplant while their loved one's heart was still beating despite his complete lack
of brain function. Getting family consent can be controversial. When the potential donor's
wishes are known, it is highly likely that the individual's organs will be used for
transplantation. However, when the issue had not been discussed previously, there is less
than a 50% chance that the organs
will be donated. This story allows for a discussion of organ donation and the reasons why
people do or do not donate organs. Several social psychological principles can be used to
help understand both sides of this issue. Supporting donation are the principles of altruism, the norm of social responsibility, empathy,
self-presentation, & self
relevance. Opposing principles are the bystander effect (see
section 3 ), the just world hypothesis, &
evolutionary theory. Many people may believe that personal religious beliefs would be a
major factor for not donating organs, but evidence shows that the vast majority of religions encourage or support organ
donation. Issues of racism and prejudice could also influence whether or not someone
choses to donate or accept organs. Social norms, conventions, and ethics will continue to
be challenged as advancing technology provides the opportunity to better and save the
lives of those in need.
*Click Here for The Team's Final Analysis*
Cyberspace Hyberbole: "Net Growth Fuels Depression" -- September, 1998.
In late August, 1998, a report by
researchers at Carnegie Mellon University was made headlines around the nation:
"Net
Growth Fuels Depression" (ABC News); "More
Net Use is More Depressing" (USA Today); "Researchers
Find Sad and Lonely World in Cyberspace" (New York Times); "Internet Can Make You
Lonely, Depressed" (CNN); "Researchers
Say Net Users Are Missing Out On "Real Life"" (BBC) . [Image on
the left is from BBC
report.] Part of a study called Homenet,
the research tracked 169 members of 73 American families for one or two years, measuring
their social interaction patterns and self reports of mood at the beginning and end of the
study period. Though the study did indeed find an association between increases in
internet use and depression, the effects were not
nearly as dramatic nor as generalizable as the headlines implied. A few accounts
have attempted to balance the interpretation and place it in the context of a sizeable body of research that has
accumulated over the years regarding the nature of computer mediated communication:
"Sad and
lonely in cyberspace?" (Salon Magazine) and "Study is a Bummer"
(Wired Magazine). These were far outnumbered, however, by the negative
stories. Perhaps the real phenomenon here, then, is why this study received
such widespread attention and misinterpretation? It may indicate that public
consciousness about internet issues has grown dramatically in the past few years, with
attendant concerns about how to cope with the rapid introduction of this technology into
more and more aspects of our everyday lives. Articles with headlines that speak to
these concerns in utopian and dystopian terms are now more likely to grab our attention.
[Graphic on the right is from the CNN report.]
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Social Psychology / Miami University (Ohio USA). Last revised: . This document has been accessed times since 1 Sept 1998. Comments & Questions to R. Sherman
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