MODULE 9: Lesson 1
Week of December 11
TODAY'S MESSAGE
TODAY'S ASSIGNMENTS:
#1. Begin Lesson 2 by reviewing the notes on Group Behaviors.
#2. Complete the Lesson 2 Practice Activity.
#3. Complete the Group Behaviors assignment.
TEACHER TALK 1
Today you learned about one of the most fascinating psychological studies ever: the Stanford Prison Experiment. The aim of this study was to investigate how readily people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that simulated prison life. Philip Zimbardo was interested in finding out whether the brutality reported among guards in American prisons was due to the sadistic personalities of the guards (i.e. dispositional) or had more to do with the prison environment (i.e. situational).
Within a very short time both guards and prisoners were settling into their new roles, with the guards adopting theirs quickly and easily. Within hours of beginning the experiment some guards began to harass prisoners. They behaved in a brutal and sadistic manner, apparently enjoying it. Other guards joined in, and other prisoners were also tormented. The prisoners were taunted with insults and petty orders, they were given pointless and boring tasks to accomplish, and they were generally dehumanized. Push-ups were a common form of physical punishment imposed by the guards.
The prisoners soon adopted prisoner-like behavior too. They talked about prison issues a great deal of the time. They ‘told tales’ on each other to the guards. They started taking the prison rules very seriously, as though they were there for the prisoners’ benefit and infringement would spell disaster for all of them. Some even began siding with the guards against prisoners who did not obey the rules.
Over the next few days the relationships between the guards and the prisoners changed, with a change in one leading to a change in the other. Remember that the guards were firmly in control and the prisoners were totally dependent on them. As the prisoners became more dependent, the guards became more derisive towards them. They held the prisoners in contempt and let the prisoners know it. As the guards’ contempt for them grew, the prisoners became more submissive. As the prisoners became more submissive, the guards became more aggressive and assertive. They demanded ever greater obedience from the prisoners. The prisoners were dependent on the guards for everything so tried to find ways to please the guards, such as telling tales on fellow prisoners.
So what's the conclusion here? People will readily conform to the social roles they are expected to play, especially if the roles are as strongly stereotyped as those of the prison guards. The “prison” environment was an important factor in creating the guards’ brutal behavior. Therefore, the findings support the situational explanation of behavior rather than the dispositional one.
Also, participants playing the role of prisoners were not protected from psychological harm, experiencing incidents of humiliation and distress.
TEACHER TALK 2
Today you will watch clips of and read about social experiments conducted by Zimbardo, Milgram, and Asch. You will also learn about the sad story of Kitty Genovese and the bystander effect. Essentially today’s lesson looks at how, when we are with others, we will act differently than if we were alone. The pull and desire to be liked, to fit in, to not feel different, causes us to say, do, and think things that do not necessarily reflective of who we are, or do they? Read on to find out more….
Milgram
Read the article below from the New York Times, Four Decades After Milgram, We’re Still Willing to Inflict Pain. It addresses Milgram’s experiment and a similar more recent experiment conducted on obedience and authority. As you read ask yourself, “Would I pull that switch?”
TEACHER TALK 3
Kitty Genovese
One of the most sadly notorious incidents of bystander effect is the heartbreaking story of Kitty Genovese. The shocking details of her death lead two young social psychologists, Bibb Latane & John Darley , to develop the bystander effect theory. As you read the New York Times Headline, view the map of Kitty’s neighborhood where the murder took place, and watch the video to learn more, consider what you would have done...
Headlines published in the New York Times March 27, 1964
“For more than half an hour 38 respectable, law-abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens. Twice their chatter and the sudden glow of their bedroom lights interrupted him and frightened him off. Each time he returned, sought her out, and stabbed her again. Not one person telephoned the police during the assault; one witness called after the woman was dead.”
To read the complete article click HERE
Link: http://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/scraig/gansberg.html
TEACHER TALK 3 CONTINUED . . .
CONTACT ME
E-mail: christopher.watson@ncpublicschools.gov
Text anytime between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
NCVPS Psychology
CITATIONS
Today's Assignments (Book Icon Orange, David Peters, Wikpedia Education Program Case Studies.pdf, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
Teacher Talk (Red Silhouette - Teacher, Ben from Openclipart, Openclipart, Creative Commons CCO 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license)
Shout Out (callout-quote-bull-speaking-bubble, Pixabay, Pixabay, CCO Public Domain license)
Important Dates This Week (Blank Calendar Page Icon, Jackaranga, Jackaranga, GNU Free Documentation License)
Contact Me (Smart phone mobile phone, Pixabay, Pizabay, CCO Public Domain)