- Why Groups and Prejudices Form So Easily: Social Identity Theory
Two strands of this experiement interested me:
1. The way it explored the I's identity within a group, the way we copy and favour certain people in the group and prepare to fight and compete with people in other groups. This is particularly interesting considering how a person's identity can change when their on their own compared to in a group, as well as relating to the theory of constructing our identity according to the other.2. The element of role play and performance that was created in the experiment, whether it was encouraged by the experimenters or not. As the journal describes, 'the most puzzling aspect of this experiment is that the boys had nothing whatsoever to gain from favouring their own group - there didn't seem to be anything riding on their decisions,' and the way they created or adopted these feelings rather than them having any signnificance in the 'real world'.
- I Can’t Believe My Eyes: Conforming to the Norm
Moving on from the concept that we copy others in creating our identities and exterior image, comes the idea about conformity and our compulsion to stick to the norm.1. In the test they found that more people tend to rely on the answers of the group than their own oppinion, expressing feelings such as:
- Feeling anxious, feared disapproval from others and became self-conscious.
- Most explained they saw the lines differently to the group but then felt the group was correct.
- Some said they went along with the group to avoid standing out, although they knew the group was wrong.
- A small number of people actually said they saw the lines in the same way as the group.2. 'What the participants didn't realise was that all the other people sat around the table were in on the game. They were all confederates who had been told by the experimenter to give the wrong answer' except for the last person to answer. This adds a whole new dimension of what's being said and what's going on underneath, as well as covert manipulation and control.
- Stereotypes: Why We Act Without Thinking
What was particularly interesting in this study wasn't so much about the existance of stereotypes in society or how we view them, more about the deeper effect of stereotyping and the unconcious way they can influence our behaviour towards others.'Participants were unaware of the manipulation yet they faithfully followed the unconscious cues given to them by the experimenters'
What this study demonstrates very neatly is just how sensitive we are to the minutiae of social interactions. Subtle cues from the way other people behave and more generally from the environment can cue automatic unconscious changes in our behaviour. And by the same token signals we send out to others can automatically activate stereotypes in their minds which are then acted out. As much as we might prefer otherwise, sometimes stereotypes can easily influence our behaviour and our conscious mind seems to have no say.
Jeremy Dean
I also came across this video, a massive hoax where the reality tv creators managed to convince the contestants they were sent into space. Whether it was more of a test of how someone could be so easily convinced by it or whether it was just for a big, voyeuristic laugh at their expense, the interesting part of it was the dynamic between the contestants, the creators and the audience and the blurring between reality and performance.
This is similar in those elements, maybe perhaps more extreme but is certainly a fascinating source of inspiration - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1V6rJ1qreA
Texts & Links:
- Dean, Jeremy, 'PsyBlog - Understanding your mind', Web, Wordpress, 2010
Stereotypes: Why We Act Without Thinking, http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/11/why-groups-and-prejudices-form-so.php
I Can't Believe My Eyes: Conforming to the Norm http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/11/i-cant-believe-my-eyes-conforming-to.php
Stereotypes: Why We Act Without Thinking http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/01/stereotypes-why-we-act-without-thinking.php
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4wgJ3A2HnY&feature=player_embedded
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1V6rJ1qreA
- http://pics.livejournal.com/celeni/pic/001dk4bf
- http://profile.ak.facebook.com/object2/1471/104/l10191710921_9248.jpg
- http://www.creativeballoonco.com/acatalog/Snow-White.jpg
