Key question: Cults

Question 1

What is the social psychology key question?

Answer 1

How can social psychology explain cult behaviour?

Question 2

Why are cults a key issue?

Answer 2

-People in society usually fear cults as they are not within our ideas of normal behaviour.
-Members are often secretive and cut off from families.
-Some cults have committed mass suicides or made a similar pact.

Question 3

What are the key features of a cult?

Answer 3

-A group of people following a strong living leader.
-A group accepting their leaders claims.
-A member demonstrating complete loyalty to their leader.

Question 4

What was the beliefs of the Manson family and what did they do which was significant?

Answer 4

-Believed Manson was a manifestation of Jesus.
-Attempted to assassinate president Gerald Ford.
-Murdered Sharon Tate

Question 5

What theories can be used to explain cults?

Answer 5

-Social impact theory
-Agency theory
-Social identity theory

Question 6

How can social impact theory explain cult behaviour?

Answer 6

-Strength: if a leader has a lot of followers he will be an authorities figure, increases legitimate authority.
-Number: lots of people in a cult so more pressure to join and more likely to follow orders as they are many people following the leader.
-Immediacy: Proximity to the leader( living within the group).

Question 7

How does agency theory explain cult behaviour?

Answer 7

-Agentic state: person showing complete loyalty to their leader and taking on their beliefs.
-Moral strain: May still join one if there beliefs align with yours even if it is morally wrong.
-Agentic shift: breaking relations outside the cult, can displace responsibility on leader.

Question 8

How can social identity theory explain cult behaviour?

Answer 8

-Social categorisation: joining the cult.
-Social identification: aligning with cult and leaders beliefs.
-Out-group denigration and in-group favouritism: the cults is one group (better) and everyone else is the out-group which is a target for the cult.

Question 9

How does Milgram’s study support cult behaviour?

Answer 9

-Agency theory- all follow the leader or cult even if it is bad (e.g mass suicide) as 65% of Milgram’s ppts shocked the confederate as the teacher.