Why We do Dumb or Irrational Things: 10 Brilliant Social Psychology Studies

[vbloke]

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/11/10-piercing-insights-into-human-nature.php
"I have been primarily interested in how and why ordinary people do unusual things, things that seem alien to their natures. Why do good people sometimes act evil? Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?" --Philip Zimbardo

Like eminent social psychologist Professor Philip Zimbardo, I'm also obsessed with why we do dumb or irrational things. The answer quite often is because of other people - something social psychologists have comprehensively shown.

Over the past few months I've been describing 10 of the most influential social psychology studies. Each one tells a unique, insightful story relevant to all our lives, every day.

But, the question is which one has the most to teach us about human nature? Which one gives us the most piercing insight into how our thoughts and actions are affected by other people?

[Cuddles]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: people are weird.

[siestatime]

This reminds me of a book I read called the Darwin's Award. It's all about idiots who write themselves out of the gene pool by doing something utterly stupid and killing/castrating themselves. Some stories are really gruesome, but others make you laugh. The one I remember is the man who sent a letter bomb - and didn't put enough postage on it. So it's returned to him, and, yes, he opens it. :cheesy:

There's a web site too
http://www.darwinawards.com/

[Amaris]

Interesting link vbloke thanks x

[Sarama]

I have been following Zimbardo for some time now, and I think he's definitely onto something.

He does not so much narrow our own stupidity (daft and puzzling as it may be) down to the influence of others, but primarily to the Situation or Situational Forces as he refers to them. He argues in his latest book how such behaviours cannot or should not be attributed in whole to dispositional or individual temperament. His theory is that the Situation can and does basically bring about these behaviours in nearly everyone alike no matter their social, cultural, or even in part their psychological background.

According to "Z" the same element of Irrationality lies dormant within all of us, and given just the right set of Circumstances and the 'perfect' Situation any of us can be the next lucky recipient of a Darwin Award!

???

[wombtwin]

I have been following Zimbardo for some time now, and I think he's definitely onto something.

He does not so much narrow our own stupidity (daft and puzzling as it may be) down to the influence of others, but primarily to the Situation or Situational Forces as he refers to them. He argues in his latest book how such behaviours cannot or should not be attributed in whole to dispositional or individual temperament. His theory is that the Situation can and does basically bring about these behaviours in nearly everyone alike no matter their social, cultural, or even in part their psychological background.

According to "Z" the same element of Irrationality lies dormant within all of us, and given just the right set of Circumstances and the 'perfect' Situation any of us can be the next lucky recipient of a Darwin Award!



HALLO

I am new here and I am a student of pre-birth psychology. The "element of irrationality" described here is essentially self-sabotage, which is of course dumb to say the least, but prebirth psychology tells us that these self-defeating tendencies are imprinted on our brains before we are born. This is why is doesn't seem at all dumb to the perpetrator and the behaviour tends to persist, even in the fact of overwhelming evidence that this will cause harm to oneself or others. This seems to be counter-evolutionary, until we dig a little deeper into experiences in the embryonic and fetal development stage, and then it makes perfect sense.

[John Jackson]

So psychological factors when we're (as far back as) embryos affects, even predicts and explains, why we act irrationally or in a self-harming way as adults?

How is this measured and determined?

Is this not just a case of starting with a conclusion and ascribing anything you want to this unfalsifiable (as far as I can see) principle?

[Mulder]

Do they interview the embryos? OK, more seriously, do they record every sound that might be sensed by the embryo? How do they know what sounds embryos notice?

[dalriada]

There's actually loads of stuff out there on prenatal learning in a variety of species including humans. One of the Profs from my old department did that study about babies recognising the "neighbours" tune in the womb. Linky thing here (http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/hepper1/). I don't see the link between any of that stuff and self-sabotaging behaviour in the future tho', could someone explain?

[Mulder]

How about this ... http://www.symbolism.org/writing/books/spc/sequence/page4.html :smiley:

[dalriada]

I'm all into Jung, archetypes and all, I would even go as far as to say I might even have Gnostic tendencies but to speak truthfully, that website scared me.

???

Slightly disappointed I couldn't find a reference to the infamous indigo kids on it tho!
::)

[dalriada]

DEAR GOD JOHN JACKSON- WHAT IS THAT THING YOU HAVE AS AN AVATAR NOW??

Does it have a name?
:shocked:

[bindeweede]

DEAR GOD JOHN JACKSON- WHAT IS THAT THING YOU HAVE AS AN AVATAR NOW??



Does it have a name?
:shocked:

Looks like a "Gordon" to me.::)

[John Jackson]

DEAR GOD JOHN JACKSON- WHAT IS THAT THING YOU HAVE AS AN AVATAR NOW??

Does it have a name?
:shocked:


Professor Fluffy. :-* :-* :-*


O0 O0 O0 ;D ;D ;D

[bobdezon]

Its an indigo child O0

[Mongrel]

I thought it was a mutant octopus

[Mulder]

Maybe it's just a more up to date photo of John ... :smiley:

(waits to get banned)

[bindeweede]

:eek3:Professor Fluffy. :-* :-* :-*


O0 O0 O0 ;D ;D ;D

For a totally huge fee - well 49p - you can join the AAH.

Just a thought. But the new avvy is better than the old one.:wavey:

[John Jackson]

Just a thought. But the new avvy is better than the old one.

O0 O0 O0 O0 O0

Hang on.... :ponder:

The old one was me!!!

Albeit a one so old I could be done for misrepresentation. ;D

[bindeweede]

John,

You are a tiny bit older than you were.

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6/funnyavatar115kz6.jpg

[Sarama]

HALLO

I am new here and I am a student of pre-birth psychology. The "element of irrationality" described here is essentially self-sabotage, which is of course dumb to say the least, but prebirth psychology tells us that these self-defeating tendencies are imprinted on our brains before we are born. This is why is doesn't seem at all dumb to the perpetrator and the behaviour tends to persist, even in the fact of overwhelming evidence that this will cause harm to oneself or others. This seems to be counter-evolutionary, until we dig a little deeper into experiences in the embryonic and fetal development stage, and then it makes perfect sense.

That's interesting wombtwin, do you have any readings or references you can post here?

Thanks
S

[Sarama]

Its an indigo child O0

Well he is kind of purpley now that you mention it.

prebirth psychology tells us that these self-defeating tendencies are imprinted on our brains before we are born.

You mean some of us are just born evil? >:D
(and others purple)

According to your readings our personalities are predetermined and we are incapable of any significant change?
(sorry John, you can't go turning any other colours on us now. You're stuck with purple, it's your destiny!;))

That brings up an entirely different conversation about rehabilitation, and whether or not it actually has any real effect, does it?

?
S

[huw-l]

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4102

skeptoid isn't a big fan of zimbardo.

[Sarama]

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4102

skeptoid isn't a big fan of zimbardo.

I just might have to join that discussion, but contrary to what is being represented, "Z" has not been promoting "the idea that bad environments drive bad behavior", he refers instead to what he terms "situational forces", and he largely blames "the system", the way in which things are generally set up, the hierarchy to be more specific.

“I’ve always been curious about the psychology of the person behind the mask,” Dr. Zimbardo said as he displayed his collection. “When someone is anonymous, it opens the door to all kinds of antisocial behavior"

He uses groups like the Ku Klux Klan as an example and I would have to agree. Let's take the anonymity we take on as posters on a forum to some extent, while I have not seen it in Skeptics and JREF very often if at all, I have seen examples on other sites where individuals seem to be given free reign behind a mask of anonymity, and proceed to make allegations and even threats that quite frankly you doubt they would do in person or if their real names were attached and they had to back it up.

I do not know if I fully agree with all that "Z" has concluded and how he come to those conclusions, but in his own book he can be found critiquing his own experiment and methods to some extent. It should be noted that the original experiment took place 30 years ago as well, and he has done many other experiments since.

His book "The Lucifer Effect" is quite an interesting read and many of the arguments seem somewhat contrary to what was in the book, and some of the facts or conditions surrounding the original experiment leading me to believe that perhaps skeptoid has yet to read it. Though I could be mistaken.