Table of Contents
Social psychology explores a plethora of behaviors, interactions and influences, as well as how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by real, imaginary or simply implied presence of other beings (Alport, 1985). Social psychology encompasses many theories such as psychological reactance, or how we as humans react to having our freedoms threatened; and cognitive dissonance, or how we handle inconsistent and conflicting cognitions (Kassin et al., 2017). Numerous journals and articles have been published researching authoritative figures and behavioral obedience. Two of the most noteworthy and popular studies conducted at Yale and Stanford further dissect commitment to obedience.
Summary Points
Theory of Psychological Reactance
The purpose of psychological reactance is to venture into the realm of people’s reactions to their loss of freedoms whether in actuality or imagined (Kassin et al., 2017). The concept of freedom is defined by (Brehm & Brehm, 1981, p. 35) “as a belief that one can engage in a particular behavior”. Potential threats to one’s freedoms can cause conflicts, and reactions to the loss of freedoms are dependent on a multitude of factors such as the importance and depth of the threatened freedom. Even in today’s society, psychological reactance acts as a driving passion that moves individuals to attempt minimizing the elevated stimulation caused by threats to freedom.
Cognitive Dissonance
Dissonance is a conflict that causes troublesome issues within us. Since the conflict causes mental discomfort, we try and alleviate dissonance by changing one of the thoughts that are not consistent (Kassin et al., 2017). The Yale experiment serves as a great example, wherein some of the subjects initiating the electric shock had to change their cognitions to reduce dissonance. The subjects would continually internalize their thoughts to continue the experiment. The results from the experiment yielded two behavioral dispositions; “first, the disposition not to harm other people, and second, the tendency to obey those whom we perceive to be legitimate authorities” (Milgram, 1963).
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Authority
Authority figures have always been prevalent in Society. The United States strives on legitimate authorities to shape and train the world’s largest military force. Of the 40 subjects in the Yale experiment, only 5 subjects declined the orders of the authority figure beyond 300 volts (Milgram, 1963). In the Stanford experiment, dressing the guards in matching uniforms made them entitled authority figures and gave them a sense of power and authority (Haney, Banks, Zimbardo, 1973). People tend to follow orders based on legitimate authority, even if it creates an ethical dilemma.
Conclusion
Psychological reactance is the reaction to the loss of one’s freedoms. The magnitude of reactance depends on how much freedom is being taken away. Cognitive Dissonance causes changes in cognition to alleviate conflict. Dissonance is multiplied when exterior forces add pressure. The Yale and Stanford experiments help us understand and grasp the concept of authority. People are prone to follow orders of an authority figure even if the order violates their morals. These behaviors have helped shape social psychology and makes our society a more understanding place.
References
- Alport, G. W (1985). The historical background of social psychology. In Lindzey G; Aronson, E (eds.). The Handbook of Social Psychology (5). New York: McGraw Hill.
- Brehm S. S., & Brehm, J. W. (1981). Psychological reactance: A theory of freedom and control. New York: Academic Press.
- Haney, C., Banks, C., & Zimbardo, P. (1973). A study of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison. Naval Research Reviews, 1-17.
- Kassin, S., Fein, S., & Markus, H.R. (2017). Social psychology. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
- Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371-378.
- Rumble, A. (2011). Interdependence in social interaction. In D. Chadee (Eds.), Theories in social psychology (191-207). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
