Blog Post # 13

I think that these studies are very interesting. I find it fascinating how people will conform to the group, as in Asch's experiment, even though they know they are correct. I think most people are afraid to be different or look bad in front of others. This study shows that we as humans are scared of failure. We sometimes lack confidence in ourselves and believe the majority is right, even when they are not. I also thought the Standford Prison Experiment was interesting. Normal, decent people transformed into their roles almost completely, even though it was only an experiment. They almost seemed to forget who they really were and took on this imaginary role. The guards were cruel to the prisoners and the prisoners were fearful and withdrawn from the guards. I think this experiment shows that people can sometimes lose themselves in their work or their leadership roles.
Social influence is like peer pressure. When other people around you change your behavior or opinions according to their beliefs, they are influencing you. I have been influenced by my peers many times in school. For example, if we are working in a group on a project, I will usually go with the ideas of the group instead of my own because I don't want to upset anyone. I am more of a follower than a leader so if other people have decent ideas, I would rather go with them than argue about it. Also, I have been influenced at work. If one of my coworkers says we don't need to do something, I will listen to them and slack off even if it means getting in trouble with my boss later.
If I am supposed to be the leader of the group, I will often try to get ideas organized and stuff, but I don't become overbearing or obsessive about being the head of the group. If I am just a member of a group, I will act normally and follow what the rest of the group says.
The most interesting thing I learned is class was how intense the human mind actually is. I learned about how dreams work and how they usually have some significant connection with our lives. I learned that our memory isn't full-proof and that things tend to get jumbled up. We cannot replay our memory like a movie in our head because holes form in them or they become altered by outside influence. I found a lot of things interesting in this class.