Social Pyschology Part 2

Question 1

background on Jonestown

Answer 1

november 18,1978 - 914 members of the “people’s temple” commited suicide at the order of their cult leader, self-professed messiah, James Jones

group started out as a church group

Jones used “foot in the door” technique to get people to commit to the group

then he took the group to South America (unfamiliar land)

Question 2

classic example of power of social influence and mind control techniques…

what were some of Jones techniques?

Answer 2

alienated population in a time of fear

had the “big brother is watching you” technique - would be confronted/punished if they didn’t conform

self incrimination - “tell me all of your fears and mistakes,” would broadcast these if they didn’t conform

suicide drills (foot in the door technique) - got this action integrated into the mind, used koolaid laced with cyanide, told them it was better to kill themselves then having others kill them

distorted perceptions - “thanks for all the food” (although did not get much food) - cognitive dissonence - no resistance when bad things happen

once they joined, they left US and gave money

*cults get people to do extreme things (if not followed, ostracized or killed)

Question 3

Holocaust

Answer 3

got people to do things they normally wouldn’t do

gradual process - led through propoganda, labels, taking away rights, dehumanization and deindividualization, *language (foot in the door techniques used)

behavior of nazis? deindividuated the jews (less focus on individuals - completely grouped them)

put all jews in same clothes, shaved heads, and treated as one (started out early)

Question 4

Eichman

Answer 4

entrusted to implement the “final soluation”

master like hitler

through propoganda, he led people on paths to convince them to do what he wanted them to do

Question 5

My Lai Massacre

background and how people acted under pressure

Hugh Thompson

Answer 5

people in vietnam were under intense pressure - soilders in the jungle were not sure who was enemy and who wasnt

medina gave orders to kill everyone in the town - village was massacred (thought the people were enemies) but everyone was innocent

soldiers listened to orders - calley (charged for the murder of the people) testified that he was ordered to kill everyone in village

Hugh Thomson - helped efforts

does not conform/ obey orders although placed under the pressure to conform - he is a hero but was not rewarded until 30 years after

Question 6

Iraq

Answer 6

general karpinski

later removed from command

stated that surpervisors told her the people were “dogs” and to “take off kid gloves” - both dehumanizing and prepared the people for more intensive torture

iraq was predictable - given the social context of the situation (dehumanizaiton and roles given)

Question 7

how does the environment validate behavior?

Answer 7

affects how one behaves in the situation

deindividualization of offenders and victims

dehumanization of victimes

*in these situations, you are not your self (seen as an individual - labels, language, and appearance) and not in normal environment

Question 8

what are the 4 factors Bandura determined to affect our interaction with people?

Answer 8

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
   ex. dehumanization by appearance and language (they deserve it mentality)

*moral engagement and disengagement

Question 9

how can we promote moral engagement?

Answer 9

humanization

when you are unable to morally disengage from the situation

countless examples of risking self to save others (sheltering jews, helping others out of twin towers, etc.)

thompson ending the massacre at my lai - people became humanized (rather than a mass of people that were being killed)

Question 10

what is bystander apathy?

Answer 10

when one stands by and watches something occur without doing anything

Question 11

the case of kitty genovese

Answer 11

1964

38 witnesses over 30 minute assault - she was eventually killed without anyone helping her

*bystander apathy

Question 12

what are some situations that lead to bystander apathy?

Answer 12

1. a diffusion of responsibility occurs, such that people expect other bystanders to help
2. people fear making social blunders in an ambiguous situation
3. people are less likely to help when they are anonymous and can remain so
4. a cost-benefit analysis occurs - weigh out danger and other factors

Question 13

what must happen before helping occurs

Answer 13

a potential helper must…

notice the event

interpret it as an emergency

assume responsibility (not diffused)

decide to intervene (and act on decision)

*if any of the above cognitive processes fails to get activated, no helping occurs

*involves a cognitive process

Question 14

“the good samaritan” research

Answer 14

people who were studying in the seminary were learning about the good semaritan bible passage

they had to give a presentation - purposefully had very little time to get across the capmus

someone is on the side of the road and needs help

most likey, people didn’t stop and they were more likely to stop if they were alone

this occured even though this story primed them to help the person on the side of the road

Question 15

when are people most likely to help people?

Answer 15

when others look like them

when they are alone

ex. smoke filling room - least likely with confederates, if naive more likely. if alone most likely

Question 16

Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Study

Answer 16

took college students and split them up into prison gaurds and inmates randomly - was set up to reflect prisons

gaurds had status through uniforms/ power given to them while inmates were dehumanized and deindividuized(nylon caps, smocks, numbers for names, don’t look like themselves)

ended after 6 days - inmates deteriorated pyschologically even though they knew they wouldn’t have to stay, rebelled

gaurds became sadistic and cruel, “drunk” on power

*random assignment made it interesting how people acted - all was created by social situation and context

Question 17

Doing Time Video

Answer 17

lewisburg- fed prison on east coast

holds 1500 people (45% black, 30% white, 25% hispanic)

harsh conditions - little air and long times in prison cells, cramped conditions, etc

deindividuation, dehumanization

us vs. them roles were given (ex. checking them when they arrived, putting them in cells)

defining roles

behaved in ways they wouldn’t if they weren’t put in that situation

Question 18

Central Park Rape Case

Answer 18

woman was brutally raped in central park (1989) - white, well educated

much media attention was put on this case, especially with the pressure to catch the offender

5 teens were interrogated, they eventually confessed (only videotaped the confession and not the interrogation)

2002- an imprisoned rapist confessed - dna matched (didn’t match 5 teens)

teens later released after further examination

why did they confess to a rape they didn’t commit? interrogation was brutal, under high stress

why did police believe them? expectation bias but all 5 gave different accounts and descriptions

Question 19

false confessions video clip

Answer 19

katie was murdered and police hunted for the confession of 20 year old roberto

police lied about evidence and threatened him with jail

roberto confessed and though he would be able to be let go - crushed spirit, brain washed, false confession by agreeing

but he was not in the country when katie was killed

was not released for a year - when heard confession, assumed it was true

Question 20

what was saul kassin’s research on false confessions?

Answer 20

includes 2 factors…

1. an authority figure insisting on guilt
2. lying to suspects about false evidence connecting them to a crime

suspect is under intense pressure and often times think that once they tell the investigator what he wants to hear, they will get to leave

Question 21

how can you judge the accuracy of a confession?

Answer 21

a confession is compelling evidence… but caution is needed to avoid confirmation bias

questions to ask…

are the details consistent? (ex. central park case had many incosistent details)

are their facts knowable only to the offender?

consider the confession in it’s context, not just a videotape obtained without “prep”

anything incosistent they ignored = expectation bias

Question 22

what are the factors that increase likelihood of coercion in a confession?

Answer 22

age and competency

conditions of custody and interrogation - how many hours was the confession, confess right away?

Question 23

what happens with confirmation bias?

Answer 23

look at info that confirmed theory they committed the offenses

ignored all the inconsistencies that suggested they did not know important details of offense

Question 24

Kassin’s lessons to remember in confessions…

Answer 24

stereotypes

reinforcement - person gets convinced that he can leave and wants interrogation to stop

motivation - food, water, sleep, rest

social impact - situation? conformitiy and obedience

adolescence - particualarily vulnerable and easily manipulated

memory - distorted memory, get convinced that something happened

fundamental attribution error and other biases - not believing that people will falsely confess

Question 25

interrogators are told to consider what?

Answer 25

starts with false belief that can tell is someone is lying - humans are very bad at telling if someone else is lying

nonverbal cues, gaze aversion, frozen posure, slouching, anxious, unconcerned, guarded

confirmation bias = “i don’t convict innocent people,” ect.

Question 26

even the innocent might start to believe that they are guilty…

Answer 26

the “reid technique” of interrogation

isolated in small, bare, sound proof room

develop a theme of guilt

interrupt expressions of innocence

pressure, then show sympathy

offer a face-saving explanation for crime

increase anxiety associated with denial

reduce the perception of negative consequences for confessing - thinking they can be released

*“innocents” at risk because they trust the system - are more vulnerable and don’t know the system

Question 27

halloween and protests in madtown

Answer 27

deindividuation (people put in groups)

dehumanization (form in opposition to others)

social roles get defined

social norms (what is acceptable?)

group think - can be led in either a good or bad direction

halloween 2005 - us vs. them mentality - police were too powerful and emitted negative attitudes

halloween 2006 - tickets handed out, police were trained to be more engaged - shifted mentality

protests had positive group think due to establishment of social norms and social roles

diversity with kids and elderly reduced mob mentality (people were reminded of people they knew - not all people looked alike so they couldn’t be categorized)

sherif - competition breads hostility while cooperation breeds positive behavior