Effort Justification

According to the study conducted by Elliot Aronson and Judson Mills in 1959, effort justification is the "rule" that claims the more we as individuals suffer for something, the more we want to like it. This should sound like total bullshit, but it's really the most intuitive concept we learned about in this lesson. From here, I'm sure there is going to be someone else with an almost identical blog, but the first thing that came to mind for loving what I suffer for is Southwestern University. But really, we put way too much time, money, effort, stress, and ulcers into this school to not bleed yellow and black by the time we get out. I also feel like I might appreciate this place just a little more than about 75% of my peers because I'm an independent, working college student. That's not to say that those who don't work don't appreciate their education or understand the value of it, I just don't think they can ever appreciate being here quite as much as I do after some of the up and downs I've been through with financial aid, the business office, and working 40+ hour weeks while taking 19 hours. Because I've been left in debt up to my eyeballs, almost been kicked out, failed a class because I was in and out of the hospital and couldn't keep up with the coursework, developed a serious ulcer, lost most of my friends because I don't have time to party when they do because I'm busy trying to earn money, and never getting enough sleep, I should want to burn this place to the ground when I walk away, but I don't, and that's either a freaking miracle or really fucked-up psychology. Sigh, we are all total shit shows because not only will we be back here for homecoming, we will all recommend this place to our friends, children, and anyone else who will sit long enough to listen about how wonderful our experience in college was.

Word Count: 337

Aronson, E., & Mills, J. (1959).The effects of severity of initiation on liking for a group. The Journal of     
         Abnormal and Social Psychology, 59, 177-181.

The Liberal Shift

As first studied by Theodore Newcomb in 1943 at the Bennington College study, a liberal shift is when college students, or any individual who is no longer heavily under their parent's influence, shifts from conservative political views to liberal views. I truly believe at least 90% of Southwestern experienced a liberal shift to some degree or another. I definitely did, but my experience wasn't nearly as notable as some of my other friends, mostly due to the fact that I already was raised in a liberal household where we were taught to listen to both sides of the debate and make a decision. I did have one friend though, who shifted so vastly it legitimately made him a better person. This guy came from the most conservative background I had ever heard of. He still believed women should raise their children and not work, and he found homosexuality to be the most horrendous of sins. We used to stay up in the fishbowl through the night talking about his views on religion, politics, and the social world. There was no getting through to this guy. Two years later, he joined the Kappa Alpha fraternity, finally had a sip of alcohol, and started loosening up. The KAs are some of the most generous and open-minded guys on campus (despite what some people might say about them). The year after our conservative friend joined the fraternity, started drinking, and allowed others to influence his opinions, when a potential homosexual male rushed KA, he fought (in private, and I shouldn't really know this) for his entry into the fraternity. So, this guy went from hating gay people, no exaggeration, to accepting them and fighting for their rights. I was so crazy proud of this guy. We haven't spoken in quite awhile, simply because we have opposing schedules, but I've heard he's loosened up on his insane ideals governing women in the workplace and leans more liberally in politics now. I heard it from the beginning of my career at Southwestern; if you aren't liberal when you walk through the doors, you will be when you walk out.

Word Count = 352


Newcomb, T. (1943). Personality and social change: Attitude
       formation in a student community. New York: Dryden.