PSY 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Santa Barbara City College, Binge Drinking, Cognitive Dissonance
Document Summary
Participants asked to judge to length of a line in comparison to others. 75% gave wrong answer at least once (compared to 5% when alone) Telling people what the norm is can lead them to act according to the norm: especially if they identify with the comparison group, binge drinking. A forced role can start to feel natural. The role can direct (force) the behaviour. The behaviour causes the attitude change: i acted like that, so i must believe that (cognitive dissonance) Roles that are chosen may be particularly effective: e. g. , guards vs. Small increments in violent acts can change attitudes leading to more violent acts: dehumanizing the enemy during war with degrading nick names, hitler"s incremental justification of the treatment of jewish people. Adjustment of individual behaviours, attitudes and beliefs to the orders of an authority figure. Could be good, could be bad: bad = destructive obedience.
