The Self and Other Case Report

This assignment is designed to make a critical comparison between yourself and another person, explored in the light of social psychological theories and empirical evidence that have been explored throughout the course. Essentially, you will be comparing and contrasting yourself with a person, in the context of established and current theories of social behavior. Our social psychology course has pointed out how we are all alike and yet different, and how we can make an unbiased comparison of this, by examining the sources of social and environmental influence.

• Choose a person with whom you have known for at least a year, to compare with your own self. Take into consideration the age, gender, socioeconomic class, family situation, and community role of the individual.
• Make a detailed comparison between your self and the other person on the basis of 4 social dimensions that have been studied in the class as textbook chapters, such as attitude and belief systems, interpersonal relationships, gender issues, and social communication.
• Research the socio-cultural history of yourself and the other person in the light of your four chosen dimensions. You may research the early life and education, family traditions, significant personal history events, and religious/community affiliations that have been mentioned as relevant in your coursework.
• The result will be a critical comparison case study, comparing yourself and the other person in the light of currently established theories of social behavior.
• Write up the comparative case report based on the information you found in terms of behaviors and social causes/influences. For each of the four social dimensions you choose, first write down what you found about yourself, followed by what you found our about your chosen other on the same dimension, making sure to include relevant theories related to your comparisons.