Survivor Blog Post #9

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This weeks episode relates to chapter 6-5th edition called, “Group Motivation”. In this episode I see a lot of motivation in the tribe members. For example, Natalie feels anger against John because he made Jeremy get voted out, so her motivation is to find the last idol to get John out. When the two groups did their challenge, there was group motivation. Each team member would cheer for one another and that inspire the rest to try their best and finish the challenge, this relates to Progress; the fourth category of motivators. Every challenge shows how each team member motivates each other, especially between Baylor and Missy. Even though Missy has been on the opposing teams, she always supports her, and sometimes lets her win. After the yellow team won, they received a reward, which was going to baseball field and handing out baseball gear to children. This reward was part of motivation, fighting for a goal.  In this episode John is the problem and has been through out the whole show, Natalie and Reed seem to go through the 4 stages of Creative problem Solving. First they investigate, they realize John is their enemy. Second, they use their imagination and comes up with plans. Natalie plans to find the last idol and Reed plans to convince everyone to vote for John. Third, they go through incubation, where Natalie goes to Baylor  to form alliance and seek more ideas to vote John out. Reed, goes to Missy and other’s to convince them to vote John out. At the end, they go through the last stage, Insight, where they figure out the idea. In Natalie’s situation, she and Baylor follow the map and start looking until they found the last idol. Unfortunately,   John as an idol so he is saved from termination. So Wes is the only one who is left and is voted out of the tribe.

Expect the Unexpected (Episode 9, Chapter 2)

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Going into the last Tribal Council it seemed like the alliances had been pretty securely formed and, both seemed to be operating with an established set of group norms. This is worth noting because, as the text points out, the creation of norms is an influential factor in a group’s ability to pass from the forming to the performing stage. The performing stage is exactly where I thought Jeremy’s alliance had settled into until people started making some very unexpected moves. That being said, many people in this episode did things that surprised me.

For starters, I was not expecting Reed’s behavior in this episode. When Reed returned from seeing Josh sent home at the last Tribal Council, he commented that he didn’t “know who to turn to now” and, he just had to worry about himself from this point on. From these comments, I thought he was going to try to align himself with Jeremy and the stronger alliance but, instead, he chose to take the route of nonconformity. Although Reed was resisting the group norms, his decision resulted in constructive nonconformity because it kept the group from ignoring the important fact that Keith was holding onto an Immunity Idol. In this way, his nonconformity was still working to promote the overall group goal.

In another unexpected move, Jeremy and Natalie decided to give up the trips they had won from the Reward Challenge in order to give them away to Jon and Jaclyn. Both Jeremy and Natalie said that they had made this decision in order to show their gratitude to Jon and Jaclyn for joining their alliance and supporting them at the last Tribal Council. As newly formed alliances, they were trying to motivate Jon and Jaclyn to stay true to their alliance by using an extrinsic reward. However, as the episode progressed, Jeremy and Natalie began to have doubts about the new couple’s loyalty.

Perhaps it was for this reason that, at Tribal Council, Natalie encouraged her alliance not to be distracted from their long term goals. She used team talk as she spoke about “our” goals and, her sentiments seemed to allude to a sense of meaningfulness created by the alliance’s meaningful goal. She knew that each member in the group wanted to make it as far in the game as possible and, she was doing her best to promote the group goal of making sure that happened. This is part of the reason why she chose Jon to take her place for the reward. He was a strong member of her alliance and, he needed food. By meeting Jon’s need for sustenance, Natalie was promoting a sense of meaningfulness in the goal her alliance was pursuing. However, that wasn’t all she was promoting. This move also allowed her a chance to balance the group goal with her own hidden agenda of moving forward in the game. As Reed point out, this wasn’t “selfless giving”.

It follows that, despite their strategic moves, Jeremy and Natalie seem to have a hard time keeping the members of their alliances motivated. In part, this could be due to the fact that motivated group members feel that they have a sense of choice. With Jeremy and Natalie running the show, the other members of their alliance may not have felt like they had any power to help make decisions. The text points out that group members are motivated when they feel “a greater sense of personal control and responsibility.” It is for this reason that I believe Missy and Baylor followed Jon’s lead to vote Jeremy out of the game. In a new alliance with Jon and Jaclyn, Missy and Baylor will share a more equal share of the power. They will have more decision-making power and, thus, they will be more motivated to promote the group goal.

It seems like a whole new ball game now that the two emergent leaders are both gone. Will it be dog eat dog now or will new leaders rise up from the stubble? I guess we’ll find out next week….

TRUST

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Group Leadership Motivation  is the concept of focus. in this episode the motivation I connected with was when it came to convincing one another for who to vote for to be voted off the Island. We also continue to see how Jon and Jaclyn continue to run this whole alliance and the tribe in general with the most numbers. This puts Jon as a leader making him feel powerful. We see how he connects to the theory of Shutz’s about interpersonal needs. The tribe as well as he feels the need to have others on his side as well as the tribe needed him and Jaclyn to be on the same page to remain as leaders.

Our text to find power as the ability to influence our motivate others. We see that in the past episode by how I just mentioned having Jon and his girlfriend convince others o vote off Josh. We also  see how the reward of the challenge was food which two contestants gave up there reward and shared it with Jon and Jaclyn. This is an example of reward power that our text talks about when someone uses rewards to gain power. We also come across how Reed is hiding an idol from his tribe/alliance and when found by others it convinces people that he’s up to no good. Reeds intentions were to be a leader in Josh’s alliance. I connect this to how in our text expert power becomes assigned to someone who demonstrates a particular skill or special knowledge. At the elimination round this time around Jeremy is voted off.

 

Nano/ NeverEverland…..isn’t this what everyone wants?

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Reflection of Blogging & Participation

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      1.  how consistent were you with submitting your blog posts in a timely manner? (4.5 consistently)
      2. how consistent were you with posting at least one thorough comment on a peer’s blog? (5 ),
      3. how well did you integrate class concepts into your posts about the Survivor show? (5 being very well),
      4. I feel that the strength of the blogging exercise is to develop a understanding of the text concepts and to be able to identify the material in real world or Reality TV scenarios allowing us to analyze group behavior.
      5. I think that I could have improved on my blogging by providing much more thorough feed back to others peoples post. I feel that after writing my blog I didn’t have much interest in responding to others also at times I would have to wait if classmates blogs were not posted yet.
      6. I liked the fact that the exercise allowed me to create and write a blog. If i ever need to create or write a blog I feel that I have the knowledge and experience to do so.
      7. I disliked the fact that the show we had to watch was 45min. long with lengthy commercials it was very time consuming watching the television episodes.
      8. I would suggest not as many blogs and a word count minimum for comments left to other bloggers to motivate bloggers to leave better comment also comment instructions like one agreement one disagreement etc.

Blog post 10 This is not the End.

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Here is my self reflection on and about the blog(s).

Question 1: Scale to 1-5 how diligent was I on the blogging.

I would say 5. Not to be just out there but I personally know i don’t do well on tests. So I do my best on my assignments I kept doing every blog from the beginning every sat or sunday depending when time permitted me to. This would be under Blog 11. but since i did 10 episodes of survivor and such i decided this would be just yet another blog.

Question 2: How diligent was I on responding to other people’s blog

I would give a 4. I replied mostly right after I did mine. There may be one or two missing since here has been ramshambles of assignments I had to do to keep everything up to date. And I personally Loved this assignment. At first I was a bit annoyed but after episode 2 blog I started to realize that if i swap this as a task into a communal thinking i could see how others saw my blog as and how they thought of the episode and my thoughts. IT was a very I would call Sly but funny method of teaching . GG/GJ (good game/ good job)

Question 3: How well and much did i combined class concepts to the show.

I would give a 3 under the teaching standards. I integrated them yes but I used what I have learned and what the book said and tried to reason why certain outcomes of the show became the way it has been and predicting with that new outcome what could be the next. I think I had too much fun with this part of the blogging and even surprised me that one episode did not go too well with one the chapters so it was a huge hammering on my brain but so far I think it was decent reflection. Personally I would give myself a 4. but I wouldn’t say it otherwise.

Question 4-8 (since all of them basically talk about what i liked, disliked, strength, improvement etc.)

this is a 5. I liked the assignment. Sure I admit it was a drag to watch survivor for first two episodes and I had things like Astro projects, Comm 210 projects and assignments, English essay….and SURVIVOR WHAT IN THE WORLD?! IN COLLEGE? But then there were more meanings behind this assignment. Once I managed to get others done and focus on this it was ….a game. Just another game. I am used to blog posting because I have to post, dedication, to my youtube channel and all but I never imagined things people have said about the episode without doing this nor what they thought the chapter or how it ties in their way. What I did not like is the fact that I couldn’t really focus on this all the time. Other technologies came in, more projects and essays and exams it was something I could just think lightly of which then again did not do because of how important chapters were.

Improvement: their is none. This assignment has no shape. We as a community, forced or not, shaped this assignment. We shared our thoughts about the episode and the chapter. TO IMPROVE is to fix and if you chip away a sculpture we made that is not fixing that is destroying.

Suggestions: SImple suggestion is this. Make it as an assignment but also instruct the new comers that this is where we share what we have learned and each opinion and episode matters because without this function of communication I believe people would not have shared their opinions about anything at all.

-KJ

 

Krunch Time!

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In this episode of survivor the allegiance within the tribes seem more apparent than ever. With this allegiance also comes a sense of being a strong group and working as a team. The tribe members that are aligned are supporting one another to victory. They all share a sense of meaningfulness they feel they are working in groups to be the remaining “top six”. Some of the tribe members have had an alliance since the beginning of the series. Jeremy feels a strong alliance with Natalie and missy. That however was not enough to keep him in the game. It seems to me that even though there are sub groups in the show, each member has a strong sense of choice which seems to be the turn of events every time. Every player on the island is extremely entitled to their choice of who to vote off next. It seems like there is always a target and it is usually the strongest players in the sense of motivating players to vote. Jeremy had done a great job of swaying votes in previous episode but along came Jon and he played on the fact that people had choice and bumped Jeremy off of the island. There is clearly a sense of competence among the alliances they are sure that each is a valuable player and contribute to the tribes. Even though they begin to attack others they believe are weaker like Keith who has clearly been targeted. Each individual on the island believes themselves to be competent and that I think is one of the driving forces of the show. As far as a sense of progress each person that remains on the island feels this, whether in a sub group or as a whole the fact that they remain in the game gives them a constant sense of accomplishment, as does reward or immunity. I think I might just watch the rest of the survivor series… or Nah?

Blog 9, Ep. 10: This is Where We Build Trust

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I really understood everyone’s logic at the beginning of this episode. Reed really wanted to get Jon out because he felt that Jon thought of himself as the “Alpha Male” and thought too highly of himself. Nataly felt like she could not trust anyone because of what they did to Jeremy last episode. For the first immunity challenge, the prize was the winners could help donate baseball gear to kids in need and have a chance to enjoy baseball food while watching the game. The Yellow Tribe won and Missy was on the losing team, once again, so Reed thought to swap with Missy so she would have a chance to experience one of the prizes from the immunity challenges (and hopefully build an alliance with Missy and Baylor). When the winners were gone, Reed talked to Keith and Wes and convinced them that Jon was useless, they agreed. When that happened, Nataly and Baylor went to search for the idol and Nataly found it. Then when Nataly said she wanted Reed voted off, things started to get confusing. For the individual Immunity challenge, Jon was the first person to give up and Reed won. Reed thought that since Jon stepped down first, it really made him look ‘cocky’ and a little too confident that he wont be voted off. That is when everyone else started to agree with Reed about Jon. At the end of the episode, when the voting was going on, Nataly whispered to Jon to play his idol, so he wouldn’t get voted off. Turns out almost everyone wrote down Jon’s name, so if he had not played his idol he would have been off. Instead of Jon voted off, Wes was voted off with just one vote.

In Chapter 6, the 5th edition, it discusses group motivation. To me, the only group motivation I see throughout this tribe/ team is when the members motivate/ convince others on whom they should vote off. Also, Jon feels motivated because everyone runs to him or Jaclyn as if they are the head of the whole tribe, which really boosts his self-esteem and makes him actually feel like the Alpha Dog. I also think JOn really falls under Shutz’s Theory of interpersonal needs. He wants to feel included and wants to be in control of the tribe and also wants and needs Jaclyn to be there with him the whole time.

Survivor # Three-Squared

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This episode of Survivor finally brought out the immunity idols for the first time this season. Both Keith and Jon wisely played their idols to avoid being eliminated. It was a decision that was made at the last second at tribal council thanks to Natalie who encouraged Jon to play it this week instead of holding on to it. Natalie helping Jon provided a turn of events because Natalie throughout the show was saying she wanted Jon to get a taste of his own medicine referencing what transpired with Jeremy last week. Jon, otherwise would have been voted off the show and the show would have been extremely more interesting had the power couple been cut in half. What was Natalie’s motivation for telling Jon and keeping him in the game when she wanted revenge for what happened to Jeremy? I think one of the motivators behind it was her being able to exercise her sense of choice which the book describes as “the shared feeling that a group has the power and ability to make decisions about how to organize and do its job.”  Natalie used her autonomy, wherewithal, and ultimately her sense of choice for the betterment of her group (Baylor and Missy) by getting inside Jon’s head to play the idol. Natalie also motivated Baylor in finding  an idol initially as they teamed up while heading back to camp as the losing team cementing their trust in each other. Obviously Missy is safe since she is Baylor’s loved one forming the three as a power group. Now Jon no longer has his idol and he is aware that the group no longer wants him in the game. Jon is going to have to adjust his game plan if he wants to make it another week. Natalie has a good strategy she’s sticking to Keith was influenced to play his idol once Jon played his. Now Natalie/Baylor have the only idol and they are three strong which is the strongest combination to have at this point.

Survivor Ep. 9

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Beginning of the episode recaps with Josh’s elimination. The minority feels weakened and threatened, and darkness seems to be at the end of the tunnel. Keith, who has an idol starts thinking strategy, but emotion may be an underlying reason for the brash plan he’s erected. Get them to vote him off, then play the idol, and come out on top. It’s clever enough to potentially work, but typically, when people try to get clever on this show, it generally follows with them being voted off. The group is reeling however, especially with the loss of their leader so this might be the wisest choice on their plate. We have the food challenge; one team wins it and the other loses. Quite uninteresting at this point. The climax occurred when natalie and jeremy gave up their reward to the traitors. If that doesn’t cement their loyalty, I don’t know what will, because on the pyramid of need, food, water, and comfort are the highest priority for motivation, and that’s the level of living that they embody. A full stomach and a good buzz is a huge gift to reciprocate their votes. So the loser team wallows, other than natalie, and wes mentions that if he’s on the chopping block, he’d appreciate a heads up, which is subtle and smart because he’s a good kid. That potentially creates room for strategy. On the other hand, Natalie doesn’t even hide it, she is candid in expressing that her actions granted leverage over the beautiful couple. Unbelievable amount of ego on this women, or thoughtlessness. We’ll see if it works because a short term favor may seem sweet, but compared to the prize, it pales. Reed, without his paramour by his side, has lost the will to play conservatively. He realizes that he’s now on borrowed time due to the inferior group dynamic and he decides to make waves. Not sure how he intends on doing that, but I’m excited to see how effectively he can utilize his rage and resentment to create rifts in the other groups unyielding ties to each other. Ultimately, the ones that need to worry are the bigger group because you don’t want to mess with an animal you’ve backed into a corner, they’re typically the ones that aim for the jugular. The weaker team loses immunity and it seems that they’ve all but lost, unaware to the potential shimmering ray of hope that could descend on them. The handsome guy realizes that Jeremy will be unable to find the idol and assume that he has it, which will lead to Jeremy thinking that he’s a liar and deceiving them. This might prove fatal for someone unexpected because although, they could just play it safe and get the weak team  to dwindle away, long term, that will be a bad strategy, because they will be the black sheep, the betrayer. They need to think critically about the implications and the ramifications of their situation. After all, in survivor, it doesn’t take much for someone to be the target of the mob. Like a deity showing up in the time of need, their miracle arrives and saves the day. Apparently, the fear the handsome guy concocted over his own well being instilled a paranoia of Jeremy’s wrath, and he must have somehow convinced the mom and daughter to abridge their alliance. They didn’t show exactly how their decisions got swayed because that would’ve lessened the drama of the blindside, if I had to speculate, I’d imagine that either they took the numbers into consideration, including people and idols, and decided that Jeremy didn’t have their best interests or opportunity at heart. Who knows is all that Jeremy will be thinking over the course of his jury assignment and it’ll be interesting to see the conclusion.