MODULE 12: Lessons 2 and 3
August 6
TODAY'S MESSAGE
I went through and filled in zeros on all Module 11 assignments not turned in. Please get those into me for partial credit.
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.
#4. Begin lesson 3 by reviewing the notes on Mass Communication.
#5. Start the lesson 3 assignment - Mass Communication. There are 2 parts to this assignment, a research part and a form. This assignment should take you 24 hours so plan accordingly.
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.
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?”
Zimbardo
Listen to the BBC Radio Interview with Philip Zimbardo about the Stanford Prison Experiment:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/b008crhv
or
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 2
Two well-known examples of Groupthink in action are the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster and the Bay of Pigs invasion. Engineers of the space shuttle knew about some faulty parts months before takeoff, but they did not want negative press so they pushed ahead with the launch anyway. With the Bay of Pigs invasion, President Kennedy made a decision and the people around him supported it despite their own concerns.
Symptoms of Groupthink
Rationalization:
This is when team members convince themselves that despite evidence to the contrary, the decision or alternative being presented is the best one.
"Those other people don't agree with us because they haven't researched the problem as extensively as we have."
Peer Pressure:
When a team member expresses an opposing opinion or questions the rationale behind a decision, the rest of the team members work together to pressure or penalize that person into compliance.
"Well if you really feel that we're making a mistake you can always leave the team."
Complacency:
After a few successes, the group begins to feel like any decision they make is the right one because there is no disagreement from any source.
"Our track record speaks for itself. We are unstoppable!"
Moral High Ground:
Each member of the group views him or herself as moral: The combination of moral minds is therefore thought not to be likely to make a poor or immoral decision. When morality is used as a basis for decision-making, the pressure to conform is even greater because no individual wants to be perceived as immoral.
"We all know what is right and wrong, and this is definitely right."
Stereotyping:
As the group becomes more uniform in their views, they begin to see outsiders as possessing a different and inferior set of morals and characteristics from themselves. These perceived negative characteristics are then used to discredit the opposition.
"Lawyers will find any excuse to argue, even when the facts are clearly against them."
Censorship:
Members censor their opinions in order to conform.
"If everyone else agrees then my thoughts to the contrary must be wrong."
Information that is gathered is censored so that it also conforms to, or supports the chosen decision or alternative.
"Don't listen to that nonsense, they don't have a clue about what is really going on."
Illusion of Unanimity:
Because no one speaks out, everyone in the group feels the group's decision is unanimous. This is what feeds the Groupthink and causes it to spiral out of control.
"I see we all agree so it's decided then."
Cass Sunstein. The Daily Show. http://www.cc.com/video-clips/59kpyq/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-cass-sunstein.
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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)