Just an interesting note, I'm not sure if you guys watch much of the Chaser on the ABC, but a few weeks back I noticed a sketch that was a)funny and b)interesting.I thought it also related well to social psychology. The sketch was called Public Service Announcements (I've had a search on youtube but have been unable to find this exact clip, sorry..).
Anyways, the premise of the sketch was one of the chaser boys would snatch the PA system from a company and make an announcement. One such inceident occurred in a leading supermarket. The chaser made an annoucenment that patrons should observe one minute silence, with no explanation as to why to do so.
The thing I found most interesting was that the staff at the store did not do anything to stop a stranger from abusing their PA system and even more interesting/amusing was the fact that the patrons actually observed the silence!
Not only that, the chaser stopped the one minute silence bacuse he lost track of time and then he went over time for about 1 1/2 minutes. I thought this was a great example of the influcence that groups have on individuals as throughout the segment, the cameras panned across the store to show individuals who were unsure of what was going on odserving people around them and copying what they were doing, even the staff bowed their heads and stopped serving and I am almost 100% sure that this skit wasn't filmed on remembereance day.
Well, I thought this was an interesting and pertinent example of what we are being taught about groupthink and the likes and if I can find the URL in the next week or so I will post it so you can have a look for yourselves and see what I am talking about, enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hey emily! I saw that episode. Very very funny!! But I was just thinking about if I were in that situation I would have done the same thing... (stood for a minute silence "to remember" even though I didnt know what I was remembering). I would have assumed that everyone else knew and I didnt and wouldnt want to look disrespectful. Ha which says alot about the effect of other people on your actions. The chaser has alot of great examples of social psych stuff.
so true, to go against the group when they are so conformed would just to me appear a non-option. It reminds me also of the different experiments that have taken place over the years dealing with group dynamics and authoratirianism (particulary looked at after the World wars), for example the Line Experiment and the Zimbardo prisonn experiment.
I think its great that such every day experiments can be found for social psych, such as if someone drops a $5 note would you pick it up and give it to them or would you keep it for yourself, and the different variables involved, such as what kind of person you are and the situation in which the event took place.
definatley though the chaser does have great social experiments, definatley worth watching!
Yeah, I agree with you Kara, I know I would do the same thing in that situation because I wouldn't want to seem disrespectful either and it is 'the thing to do' in those situations.
The thing I found the funniest was that the staff, who didn't know this guy just let him overtake their microphone, he could have said anything! It seems that if you walk in with authority and confidence then you can achieve anything? Thats a slight overstatement, but I just wonder why they let him do it, I wouldn't...
Yeah, Commercials put on by the government for public safety or information. Also known as Government Information Adverts or Public Information Films. These cheap assignment writers to commercials usually try to get you to stop smoking, obey the speed limit, look when crossing the road, or submit your tax return on time. Anvilicious by nature.
Post a Comment