TITLE

But it feels safe: How psychology helps us understand misperceptions of risk

DESCRIPTION

What a fabulous article that applies Psychology to our every day lives during the covid pandemic.  The author sites a number of interesting studies that point out how we let our guard down and misperceive risk around friends and family.  “But herein lies the beauty of studying psychology. Psychology helps us understand how people think and behave. Psychology can help us predict how people perceive (and misperceive) potential threats. … You see, certain situations can make people feel safer than they actually are. People often conflate friendliness and trust as risk reducers.  But, in reality, they’re not. A trustworthy person can still contract or spread the COVID-19. And, in some instances, as the Washington Post recently reported, these family and friend gatherings are fueling COVID-19 spikes across the nation (Brulliard, 2020)…..People let their guard down when around friends and family. And thus COVID-19 spreads.“  Read and the article in the context of the present serious problems and understand how Psychology studies can be applied to our daily lives.

SOURCE

American Psychological Association

By Karen Naufel

Psychology Student Network I   January 2021

Psychology Student Network | January 2021

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2021/01/misperceptions-risk

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/yxobxfg2

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•How can psychological studies be applied to our daily lives?

•In terms of “perceived risk taking” during the pandemic, what have we learned from social psychology?

•If you were giving a lecture on risk taking, what would you tell your audience based on what the studies demonstrate?