Paper on Social InfluenceGroup projectsExamples of past projects Examples of past projects Possible topics Social NetworksCommunicationInnovationDecision MakingPick a topic1Paper on Social Influence• Choose a concept from Cialdini’s Influence• Identify a situation to exercise influence• 1-page proposal due Sep 15, Friday– Concept– Situation• What, Who, How (when, where)• Estimated Risk• 7-page paper due Sep 29, Friday• Rewrite due Nov 5, Monday2Group projects•Generate question & discuss with TA: before Friday September 29•1-2 page research proposal: Friday, October 6th•COUHES application: Friday, October 13th•Data Collection Update: Friday, November 3rd•5-7 page draft report: Monday, November 13th•Presentation: December 6, 8, 11•Final Report: Friday, December 15th3Examples of past projects• Whether sleep deprivation in the previous night leads to decreased attention in class• The effects of Finance internships on MIT students’career outlook• The effect of strict parenting in high school on college alcohol consumption• Whether complimenting people make them have positive perception of tasks • How does watching TV affect workout results?4Examples of past projects• How does a competitive environment like MIT impact students’ self confidence?• How does general knowledge about environmental ethics affect individual consumption choice?• The effect of instant messaging on inter-personal relationship• The unintended consequence of MIT party policy on marijuana use5Possible topics• Aspects of your MIT life– Academic (performance, confidence…)– Social (sleep, alcohol, game, living group…)– Institutional (Rush, UROP, studying abroad…)• And more…• Be creative6Social Networks• Relations or ties necessary for:– Information, Emotional support, Advice• Different kinds of networks – do you want to be in A or B?• Strong ties or weak ties?• Study network characteristics (e.g. strength, connection) and effect on outcomes (e.g. information, satisfaction)• Think about– Friendship network, alum network, club network…– Who talks to whom, how frequent, about what…AB7Communication• Effective communication can lead to better motivation, more knowledge sharing, fewer conflicts• How do new media change the way we communicate?• How are these media different from each other?• Think about– Cell phone usage, text message, IM, online activity8Innovation• Innovation is key to organization growth & competitiveness• 3 key phases: idea generation, implementation & diffusion • What factors affect creation of new ideas?• What factors affect adoption of new ideas? • What factors affect dissemination of ideas?• Think about– MIT 50K, 100K competition9Decision Making•What affects individual decisions?–Bias– Is more choice always better? •What affects group decisions?– Group makeup– Is cohesiveness good or bad?•Think about– Your own choice as a consumer, student, applicant…– The groups you participated in…10Pick a topic• Something you care about• Something puzzles you• Something annoys you• Find support from organizations– Student organization, Tech, stores, research center, volunteer group, community
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