The Influence of Social Media, Stereotypes, and Intelligence

Social media deeply influences adolescent thoughts, behaviors, and neural development. The essay delves into the psychological findings of three distinct studies, each examining different aspects of human behavior and cognition. The first study, "The Power of the Like in Adolescence" by Lauren E. Sherman et al., explores how adolescent peer influence manifests on social media through neural and behavioral responses. The researchers hypothesized that peer influence would prompt adolescents to engage in riskier behaviors if these behaviors were reinforced by peers on social media platforms.

The experiment involved 34 female participants aged 13-18, who consented to participate through the institutional review board at the University of California, Los Angeles.

To conduct the experiment, a novel functional MRI (fMRI) simulated an Instagram-like environment. Participants, with the exception of two due to scan-console malfunction and excessive motion issues, viewed photos on a simulated Instagram platform. These photos varied in the number of likes they received and depicted both neutral and risky behaviors. Magnet-compatible 3D goggles enabled participants to interact with the images by liking them or moving on to the next image. The study revealed that the popularity of a photo significantly influenced the participants' interactions with it. Adolescents were more likely to like photos based on their existing likes rather than the depicted behavior, such as smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol. This effect was even more pronounced for photos submitted by the participants themselves.

The findings underscore the profound impact of peer pressure in online environments on adolescent decision-making. When participants viewed photos with a higher number of likes, the neural regions responsible for reward processing, social cognition, imitation, and attention showed increased activity. Conversely, when exposed to risky photos, activity in the cognitive-control network decreased. This aligns with the understanding that adolescence is a crucial period for self-presentation, which extends to social media. The study concluded that the feedback adolescents provide to others is overshadowed by their focus on self-presentation.

While the study's execution was commendable, particularly the use of fMRI to capture neural reactions, a larger sample size could enhance the accuracy of the findings. Nonetheless, the study serves as a potent reminder of the need to foster a more positive and accepting social media environment. The parallels between this study and research on body image portrayal on social media, which negatively impacts adolescent girls' self-view, are striking. Both studies illustrate the significant influence of social media on young girls, whether positive or negative.

Stereotypes and Welfare

The second study, "The Relationship Between Mental Representations of Welfare Recipients and Attitudes Toward Welfare," conducted by Jazmin L. Brown-Iannuzzi et al., investigates whether negative stereotypes about African Americans contribute to the disdain for welfare. The hypothesis posits that individuals associate welfare with Black recipients. Participants from diverse backgrounds, including gender, age, racial-ethnic composition, and median income, were tested through an introductory psychology course and Amazon Mechanical Turk, with over a hundred participants in each study group.

The experiment involved three studies. In the first two, participants were asked to choose the image in each pair that resembled "a welfare recipient." In the third study, participants determined their support for providing welfare benefits to individuals depicted as the average welfare recipient versus non-welfare recipient images generated in Study 2. Through different phases of image generation, processing, and rating, the study uncovered a bias: participants were less likely to allocate welfare benefits to individuals perceived as welfare recipients, reinforcing existing stereotypes.

The study confirmed the hypothesis: participants' mental representations of welfare recipients were influenced by negative stereotypes, imagining African Americans as typical welfare recipients. These recipients were perceived as naive, lazy, and incompetent, as well as relatively unhappy, unattractive, and unlikable. This pervasive negative stigma contributes to the widespread distaste for welfare and its policies. The study's complexity and intricacies ensured accurate results, thanks to a substantial sample size and multiple study groups. Conducting three distinct studies and employing phases of image generation, processing, and rating further solidified the findings.

As a Criminal Justice major, I appreciate the importance of addressing racial biases and stereotypes, which play a significant role in societal perceptions. The treatment of African Americans in this study is disheartening and should serve as a wake-up call. Raising awareness about these unconscious beliefs is crucial to changing negative opinions and stereotypes, ultimately fostering a more equitable society.

Intelligence and Future Success

The third study, "When Lightning Strikes Twice," by Matthew C. Makel et al., examines individuals who demonstrated exceptional intelligence at an early age, exploring whether these advanced abilities can benefit themselves and society. The hypothesis suggests that superior abilities in childhood will lead to improved life outcomes for individuals and others. The study involved 259 participants, predominantly male, with a mean age of 40. These individuals had taken the SAT at an average age of 12.6 between 1981 and 1994.

The experiment employed a graphic approach used in astronomy, known as a blink comparator. Participants viewed photographs of the night sky, quickly flashed back and forth on a screen, to differentiate brightness and organizational patterns. The study revealed that success could be predicted from adolescents with heightened abilities. Accomplishments such as graduate degrees, careers, and creative achievements were evident at age 13, as shown by cross-sample qualitative differences. Participants were tracked for over three decades, with consistent results aligning with an earlier study by SMPY, which followed 320 intellects of a similar age group.

Intellectual talent exhibits identifiable patterns through experimentation and studies. The study highlighted the variation in participants' abilities based on whether they excelled in the SAT-Math or SAT-Verbal sections. To comprehensively understand human accomplishment, the experimenters tested participants in various categories of intelligence, including behavioral genetic inquiry. While the study's gender imbalance, with 214 males and 45 females, could have influenced the results, the rigorous participant selection and testing process ensured that only genuinely intellectually gifted individuals were included.

This study is significant as it sheds light on the predictive power of intelligence in shaping one's intellectual future. It raises intriguing questions about the nature versus nurture debate and the role of innate abilities versus environmental factors in determining success. Understanding the dynamics of intelligence can pave the way for societal advancement, driven by individuals with exceptional capabilities.

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