This document outlines a primary task response assignment asking students to write 300-500 words responding to questions about how sociology explains social behaviors and how individuals and groups behave differently. Students are asked to watch a video about helping a homeless stranger and discuss how they would react alone or in a group, and the extent social influence impacts their decisions. They are then asked to respond to at least two classmates' posts, discussing what they learned or questions they have.

1. Primary Task Response:
Within the Discussion Board area, write 300–500 words that
respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas,
and comments. This will be the foundation for future
discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and
use examples to reinforce your ideas.
What would you do?
Sociology attempts to understand and explain social behaviors
such as attitudes, violence and aggression, prejudice and
discrimination, prosocial behavior where people help and
cooperate with one another, self-identity and social-identity,
social influence, and group behavior. People tend to behave
differently in groups than they would behave individually.
Group behavior can be positive, but it can also be damaging,
such as the
bystander effect
(which is when the presence of other people prevents an
individual from intervening in an emergency situation). For this
assignment, consider how you would behave individually and if
you were in a group.
Part 1
Watch the video
What would you do to help a homeless stranger
?
How do you feel you would have reacted had you been a
customer sitting at the bar when this situation happened? Why?
Would your response and behavior have been different if you
were by yourself or if you were with a group of your friends
who did not want the homeless man to be served?
To what extent do you feel social influence has on your
behavior and your decision making?
Was the scientific method applied in this social experiment?
Explain your answer.
Be sure to cite your sources using proper APA format.
Part 2

2. Responses to Other Students:
Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a
100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding
items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you
with your discussion, please consider the following questions:
What did you learn from your classmate's posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the
posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your
posting and other classmates' postings?
Reference
thebaodao. (2013, February 10).
What would you do to defend a homeless stranger?
[Video]. Retrieved from the YouTube Web site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uletl1MAeQ8
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web
resources, and all course materials