This week, you will learn about several famous classic social psychological studies that illustrate how the behavior of ordinary people is shaped by conformity to group norms, authority, and social situations.
Your task is to go to the “Week 6” folder in the Weekly Lesson Plan tab and watch the videos on the following famous studies:
Asch’s “Line Experiment” on conformity
Milgram’s “Shock Experiment” on obedience to authority
Stanford Prison Experiment
The Bystander Effect
Once you have watched all the content, please answer the following questions in no less than 200 words:
What stood out to you most or surprised you most when watching the footage of these studies?
These studies often highlight the “dark side” of social influence, showing the conditions under which ordinary people may behave in harmful ways. How can we use the findings from these studies to promote POSITIVE behavior? Describe an idea or example of how we can take the lessons from these studies to INCREASE people’s willingness to help, intervene, or resist oppression? Be specific and detailed.
