This discussion is focused on the accusations made against Jason, a college student, of manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine that will be further studied and examined. It is vital to recognize that social psychologists concentrate and focus on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors guided and influenced by others (Aronson et al., 2019).

Applying a social psychology approach with Jason, analysis is done in a slightly different process involving how the individual is affected within the context of the social situation and how much comprehension Jason had on the situation (Aronson et al., 2019). The terminology traditionally used by social psychologists is the word construal, and we can define it as how individuals recognize, understand, and explain the social reality around them (Aronson et al., 2019). This form of comprehension is essential because it communicates how valuable this kind of information can be for the rest of us to understand how people essentially see the world and how this reality is influenced in the social context (Aronson et al., 2019).

Methamphetamine is primarily associated with increased energy, alertness, insomnia, and decreased appetite (Lende et al., 2009). According to the pharmacological report, methamphetamine is considered a long-acting stimulant that promotes overindulgence and lengthening its consequences from several hours to several days when taken repeatedly (Lende et al., 2009). This type of medication is very prevalent amongst college students, including those whose jobs expect them to work long hours or require them to be physically demanding (Lende et al., 2009). By taking the medication’s information in question, the likelihood that more students, including staff members of the University, are either purchasing methamphetamines or using it without a prescription. The supply and demand for medications that include methamphetamine at the public University level are very high and exceptionally prevalent. Jason is currently in medical school that demands the student to be fully alert, and the cost of staying in school without having a full-time job requires an inventive career choice. The supply and demand were available to Jason, including the popularity of methamphetamines use among the University society making it more of a socially accepted drug of choice to confirm the logic behind Jason’s choice. To be fair to Jason and the rest of the students and staff at the University, they should include everyone in mandatory drug testing for methamphetamines and receive the same punishment if found positive without a prescription.

References:

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M., & Sommers, S. R. (Eds.) (2019). Social Psychology (10th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Lende, Daniel & Leonard, Terri & Sterk, Claire & Elifson, Kirk. (2009). Functional Methamphetamine Use: The Insider’s Perspective. Addiction Research and Theory. 15. 465-477. doi:10.1080/16066350701284552.