Social Psychology: Interpersonal and Group (Chapter 15) Lecture Outline : Group dynamics Compliance and obedience Persuasion: From Milgram to Waaco (146)

Basic principles of a group A number of individuals who interact Social facilitation: joggers speed up Social inhibition: first tee in golf Arousal facilitates well-learned responses but inhibits novel responses –Exam stress wipes out newly learned material but can enhance well-learned strategies and material –Distraction-conflict: “Hey Mom watch!”

Other group issues Social loafing: Individual energy expended goes down as the number of people goes up Group polarization: When in groups, views become extreme Conflict resolution: Is this at the expense or benefit of yourself and the other side? Groupthink Isolated, biased leadership, and high stress can lead to unusual and close- minded decisions

“Following the crowd” Conformity: Doing what others in a group do, e.g., cross against red What “norms” are you conforming to right now? Maximized in cohesive groups 3-4 persons in size Utilize gender and other stereotypes Moderate social status maximizes effects Appearance of unanimity, e.g., votes in elections

Would everyone in class please stand up. What would make you more likely to have done this? Justification, initial smaller request, initial larger request, reciprocity if I have done a favor for you first

Compliance and Obedience Compliance: Doing what someone has asked you to do –e.g., get on protest bus: what are we protesting? Obedience: Following orders –e.g., we can be cruel to others when ordered to be so Cults are examples of conformity, compliance, and obedience out of control

In the early 1970's, two individuals (my task partner and myself) from the Evolutionary Level Above Human (the Kingdom of Heaven) incarnated into (moved into and took over) two human bodies that were in their forties. I moved int a male body, and my partner, who is an Older Member in the Level Above Human, took a female body. (We called these bodies "vehicles," for they simply served as physical vehicular tools for us to wear while on a task among humans. They had been tagged and set aside for our use since their birth.) -- Website excert

Certain psychological themes which recur in these various historical contexts also arise in the study of cults. Cults can be identified by three characteristics: 1.a charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose their power; 2.a process called coercive persuasion or thought reform; 3.economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.