Forming and Using Social Perceptions

A Beautiful Mind
dir. Ron Howard. Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, 2001.

1. Can you detect any clues regarding the reality versus non-reality of Nash's experience?

2. As you watch this film, monitor Nash's efforts to control his illness using his own self-talk. Do you see how this might be useful in your own life? Remember that our perceptions and reinforcing self-talk function to shape our own reality.



Breakfast Club
dir. John Hughes. Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason, 1985.

1. How would you describe the self-concept of each of the students? What evidence is there for how these were formed? How do their individual self-concepts affect their communication with each other?

2. How would you describe the self-talk of each student? What evidence is there for their self-talk? How does it appear to affect their self-esteem and their communication behavior?

3. To what extent do these students illustrate self-fulfilling prophecies? What can they do to break the cycle of this behavior?

4. What can each of these students do to improve their interpersonal communication? Can you adopt any of these improvements to your own life?