Multicultural Experience Paper
Social Psychology - PSY/400
June 14, 2010
Instructor: Dr. Poole
The location of Cathedral of Faith is 5314 Bingle Road in Houston, Texas. Cathedral of Faith believes that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. The church claim a non-denominational status but does believe that being saved and receiving the Holy Spirit are two separate events, which is markedly different from the church that I attend; Northeast Community Church, which believes that the Holy Spirit dwells in us when we are saved. Northeast Community Church seems to, at least from my perspective, put less emphasis on the works of the Holy Spirit, such as healings, lying on of hands, and speaking in tongues than Cathedral of Faith; and more emphasis on reading God's word, praying, and fellowship. It is an unspoken rule at Northeast Community Church that silence is to be observed while the pastor is preaching; whereas, auditory confirmation is encouraged at Cathedral of Faith. I was invited to attend Cathedral of Faith by my grandparents, who are members. They ensured me that even though there were some differences in worship style, the Cathedral of Faith worship service did not deviate from the normal Northeast Community Church worship service greatly. However, the details of my perception of the experience will bear out that the social factors of social facilitation, social loafing, and de-individualization had a substantial impact on how my preconceived notions were affected by group influence and how the reactions of others to my presence affected my behavior.
The Experience
As I walked into Cathedral of Faith with my family on Sunday morning, I realized right away that the name for the worship center was not plucked out at random but on purpose. There was not a single corner that did not...