We are obedient to authority video on Milgram o In the 1960s Stanley Milgram conducted one of the most controversial studies in social o His study was intended to test if American s were also very obedient based on German psychology on obedience obedience in during WWII o A participant read a list of words to a man in an adjacent room through an intercom and the man in the other room had to identify which of the words didn t belong If the man answered incorrectly or didn t answer at all the participant was asked to administer a shock The man in the other room always or almost always answered the questions incorrectly or didn t answer at all o Nearly 2 3 of the participants in Milgram s study completely obeyed the directives of the experimenter providing what they believed was a shock that was sufficient to kill the opposed learner although they were uncomfortable with what they were doing and wanted to stop o How they changed the pattern of obedience If the participant actually helped apply the electrodes to the man in the other room there was human interaction they were less likely to be obedient If the experimenter didn t take responsibility when the participant asked who was responsible the participant was less likely to obey If the experimenter lacked status authority e g an experimenter at a university vs an experimenter in dingy strip mall the participants were less likely to obey If the instructions were given by phone and the experimenter wasn t there in person the participants were less likely to obey o The prediction had originally been that fewer than 1 10 of the participants would obey completely and apply the maximum level of shock o Later studies have replicated Milgram s findings suggesting that ordinary people can be coerced into obedience by insistent authorities even when what they are coerced into goes against the way they would usually behave How does the social control and interpersonal influence process work o Jonestown video November 18 1978 914 members of the People s Temple cult committed suicide at the order of their cult leader self professed messiah James Jones Jones promised his followers that they were going to the promised land His followers were just normal people Jones moved his cult to a remote place in Guyana after people s families started questioning why he was taking their money They built their own town Jonestown When Jones knew he was being looked for he had his followers commit suicide by drinking cyanide laced Kool Aid Some of his followers tried to escape when they realized people were dying Why did they follow him Classic example of power of social influence mind control techniques o Alienated population in time of fear they were looking for others to connect to o Big Brother is watching you o Self incrimination tell me your fears mistakes Jones then used this information against people o Suicide drills foot in the door o Distorting perceptions o Thanks for all the food cognitive dissonance they worked hard long days but were still forced to be thankful o He started with positive messages and slowly became more destructive o Pressure to conform o Adolf Eichmann Chief of the Jewish Office of the Gestapo Entrusted to implement the final solution a nice way to label something horrible Jewish extermination He gradually took away the Jews rights used propaganda and dehumanizing When he was asked why he did what he did he said he was simply following The concentration camp guards were deindividualized they got into their roles imagery orders as guards Quote summary people don t want war but leaders determine policy and easily convince people by telling them that they are being attacked denouncing peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger o My Lai massacre Group think Soldiers were under pressure and couldn t tell who the enemy was They were told that the enemy soldiers were hiding in the village thought they found none but they continued to follow orders to kill the villagers The facts as reported in the Capital Times and Newsweek articles Lt Calley gave the orders to kill the villagers following orders Lt Calley s defense at his Court Martial proceeding was that he was just Hugh Thompson s Heroism he was removed from the social psychology aspect because he was in a helicopter so there was no group think or pressure to conform involved He was confused as to what was going on and then saw that the Americans were killing the villagers He landed the helicopter and threatened to shoot anyone who harmed the villagers The response within the Army to Officer Thompson he was ostracized and people thought he shouldn t have told people what happened o Iraq Abu Ghraib Prison U S soldiers were torturing people and taking pictures Someone released the pictures because they were disturbed by the behavior E g a prisoner was standing on a box blindfolded dehumanization and wires were attached to him He was electrocuted when he stepped off the box E g a female soldier put a prisoner on a leash like a dog naked E g a woman is smiling in a picture next to a prisoner tortured to death The media was horrified and wondered what was wrong with these soldiers Zimbardo You can t be a sweet cucumber in a vinegar barrel the situation shapes your behavior o Bandura the interaction of person situation the concept of moral disengagement 1 We redefine harmful behavior as honorable 2 Minimize our personal responsibility 3 Ignore distort minimize negative consequences of our behavior 4 Reconstruct our perception of the victims as deserving the punishment How can we promote moral engagement Countless examples of risking self to save others sheltering jews helping others out of twin towers etc Humanization The case of Thompson ending massacre at My Lai Why do people stand up and do the right thing or ignore the distress of others o Bystander apathy at times The case of Kitty Genovese Kitty a young woman was walking home and was assaulted 38 witnesses over 30 minute assault Why didn t they help Bystander apathy not helping people in need of Video on bystander apathy 1964 help People die in public all the time and no one calls 911 when they witness We assume other people are helping those in need out and we are them dying hardwired to look away The more people are present the less of a chance there is you they will help Situations that lead to bystander apathy 1 A diffusion of responsibility occurs such that people expect other bystanders to help