Social Psychology Pt.1: Psychology Of Evil Flashcards
Ethnocentrism
Belief that your culture, race, or social group is superior to others.
Ethnocentrism often focuses on a belief that your point of view is
The only one that makes sense which leads to judging and possibilities discriminating against others according to your group’s perspective
Ethnocentrism quote by Hitler
All the humans culture, all the results of art, science, and technology are almost exclusively the creative product of the Aryan
Usual precursor to Genocide
Us vs them mentalities
Ingroup
“Us”— people who share a common identity
Outgroup
“Them”— those perceive as different or apart of one’s group
In group bias
The tendency to favor one’s own group which can lead to mistreatment of an outgroup
Ingroup and outgroup are usually created during
Times of competition
Propaganda can help fuel
In-group bias
Scapegoat theory
The theory that prejudice can serve as an OUTLET FOR ANGER by providing someone to BLAME
Scapegoats are often created during
Times of economic and/or political turmoil in a country
Scapegoats example
Nazis use the Jews as a major scapegoat to relieve frustration caused by loss of WWI, the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles, and the horrible economic conditions in Germany
Foot in the door phenomenon
Our tendency to comply with a a LARGER RECENCY AFTER agreeing to a SMALL ONE
Larger request of foot in the door phenomenon example
Kill all Jews
Buy the product
Small request of foot in the door phenomenon
Minor form of discrimination
See a product
Foot in the door phenomenon example
In a mall, person asks to see a product. Then to buy the product
Foot in the door phenomenon and escalating levels of Jewish Discrimination
German citizens and those at varying levels of the Nazi hierarchy were exposed to and compiled with gradually increasing levels of discrimination against the Jews
Before Gas Chamber System, the Holocaust involved mobile killing units shooting victims which tended to be
Psychologically difficult for many Nazi Soldiers
Holocaust by the bullet and its connection to
Individual responsibility
Diffusion
Spread out
Diffusion of responsibility: Diffusion of responsibility is a social phenomenon which tends to occur in groups of people above a certain critical size or in tasks that are managed in such a way that
Responsibility is not explicit assigned to one person.
Gas Chamber system and Nazi hierarchy of “just following orders”
Diffusion of responsibility
Diffusion of responsibility example
Bystander Apathy: less likely to help emergency victim when many people around
Firing Squads:only one has bullet
Diffusion of responsibility
Diffusion of responsibility and the Firing squad:
4 shooters only 1 bullet
The attack and rape of Kitty Genoese illustrates the
Bystander Effect
Solomon Asch’s study on
Conformity
Conformity reason 1 in Holocaust
Information social influence- trust and think others are smart to have information
Conformity reason 2 holocaust
Norman social influence- you don’t wanna stick out
Conformity
To adjust your behavior to fit in with a group
Solomon Asch’s study used
Line segments to illustrate power of conformity
Ashe’s 3 factors that influence where their a person will yield to pressure
The size of the majority- 7-8 people
The presence of a partner who dissented from the majority
The size of the discrepancy between the correct answer and the majority position
Stanley Milgram’s study is most famous for illustrating
The powerful situational influence of authority
Stanley Miligram created the study in part because
Of his Jewish heritage
Milgram’s study question
“If Hitler asked you, would you execute a stranger?”
Obedience to authority example
The video we watched on a man who’s instructed to give shocks every time the man missed an answer
Milgram’s OBEDIENCE
Compliance
Milgram’s obedience study- 3 basic people in the study
Participant
Student
Experimenter
Milgram’s obedience study- participant
Teacher who will read word pairs to the “student”. Only one not part of research team
Milgram’s obedience study- student
Actor that will present to be shocked if answers correctly
Milgram’s obedience study- experimenter
Authority figure in a lab coat that instructs the participant what to do
Milgram’s experimental design
The range of electrical shocks had 30 variables ranging from mild shock (15 volts) to Danger Severe Shock and XXX (450 Volts)
Milgram’s obedience study- major question
How many people would inflict the maximum voltage on the “learner?”
Milgram’s obedience study- How many people would inflict the maximum voltage on the “learner?”
Prior to the experiment, psychologists believed fewer than 1-3% would inflict maximum damage
Milgram’s study-How many people would inflict the maximum voltage on the “learner?” Actual results
65% of participants gave “learners” maximum shock despite feelings of discomfort, no participant stopped prior to 300 volt level.
Milgram’s study- in studies compliance was as high as
90% and as low as 10% depending on the variables used
Factors which influenced compliance in Milgram’s study- obedience highest when
Person giving orders is close at hand
Authority figure is supported by prestigious institution
Victim is depersonalize and in another room
There are no role models for defiance
Factors which influenced compliance in Milgram’s study- obedience highest when: There are no role models for defiance
Obedience/compliance is highest when you think it is for the higher purpose
Deindividualization
The loss of self-awareness and self restraint (control) occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
Deindividualization- self restraint
Do things that you normally wouldn’t do
Deindividualization leads to
Riot mentality
Deindividualization- women dressed in
Depersonalizing outfits or masks delivered higher levels of shocks than those who were identifiable
Deindividualization used in
Military
Dehumanization
The ability to view the victims of violence as somehow less than human
Dehumanization- humans find it easier to inflict and rationalize violence against
Victims who seem less than human
Dehumanization impacts the
Perpetrator- person who commits the violence
Bandura’s Dehumanization experiments- group of college students were to help train
Other visiting college students using shocks when they erred
Bandura’s Dehumanization experiments- participants hear 1 of 3 statements: neutral
The subjects from the other school are here
Bandura’s Dehumanization experiments- participants hear 1 of 3 statements: humanized
The subjects from the other school are here and they seem nice
Bandura’s Dehumanization experiments- participants hear 1 of 3 statements: dehumanized
The subjects from the other school are here and they seem like animals
Bandura’s Dehumanization experiments- participants hear 1 of 3 statements: results
Escalated aggression toward dehumanization labels individuals
Dehumanization’s use in was propaganda
Jew as 🐀
Fundamental attribution error
Tendency for people to explain others behavior by overestimating the impact of internal disposition and underestimating the impact of situational influence
Dispositional example
Explanation-a student who is sleeping who is sleeping in class is “lazy” and “doesn’t care”
Situational example
Explanation- a student who is sleeping in class may have been up all night studying or visiting a relative in the hospital
Situational influences
Environmental circumstance around you
Disposition
Character/personality
Fundamental ATTRIBUTION error
Explains someone else’s behavior
Do we make the fundamental attribution error when explaining the actions of ourselves?
No- least likely to make errors of ourselves
Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment
Ordinary college students were randomly divided into groups of “prisoners” and “guards”. Prisoners were arrested in their homes by real policemen, strip searched and put into jail created in the basement of the Stanford Psychology Department
Prisoners in the Stanford Prison experiment were referred to as a
Number
Prisoners in the Stanford Prison experiment wore
Ill fitting smocks without underwear.
A nylon panty-house over head to simulate shaved head
Wore small chain around ankle to remind them of their imprisonment
Guards in the Stanford Prison experiment wore
Military style uniform, carried wooden baton
Given reflective sunglasses to avoid eyecontact
In the results of the Stanford Prison experiment, what affect both groups attitudes and behaviors
Role play
In the results of the Stanford prison experiment, prisoners
Broke down and became more obedient
In the results of the Stanford prison experiment, guards
Became more and more sadistic in enforcing the law, they became most sadistic when thought experimenters weren’t watching them
The Stanford Prison experiment eventually led to
Be ended early for ethical reasons
Euphemisms AKA
Double speak
Double speak
Language deliberately constructed to disguise or distort its actual meaning
Euphemisms/double speak examples
“Concentration Camps”
“Final solution”
“Resettlement”
