10 Psychological Studies That Will Change What You Think You Know About Yourself

31/01/2016
10PsychologicalStudiesThatWillChangeWhatYouThinkYouKnowAboutYourself
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10 Psychological Studies That Will Change

What You Think You Know About Yourself
10/18/201308:22amET|UpdatedOct28,2013
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Whydowedothethingswedo?Despiteourbestattemptsto"knowthyself,"the
truthisthatweoftenknowastonishinglylittleaboutourownminds,andevenless
aboutthewayothersthink.AsCharlesDickensonceputit,Awonderfulfactto
reflectupon,thateveryhumancreatureisconstitutedtobethatprofoundsecret
andmysterytoeveryother.
Psychologistshavelongsoughtinsightsintohowweperceivetheworldandwhat
motivatesourbehavior,andthey'vemadeenormousstridesinliftingthatveilof
mystery.Asidefromprovidingfodderforstimulatingcocktailpartyconversations,
someofthemostfamouspsychologicalexperimentsofthepastcenturyreveal
universalandoftensurprisingtruthsabouthumannature.Hereare10classic
psychologicalstudiesthatmaychangethewayyouunderstandyourself.
Weallhavesomecapacityforevil.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/18/20psychologicalstudies_n_4098779.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
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Arguablythemostfamousexperimentinthehistoryofpsychology,the1971
Stanfordprisonstudyputamicroscopeonhowsocialsituationscanaffecthuman
behavior.Theresearchers,ledbypsychologistPhilipZimbardo,setupamock
prisoninthebasementoftheStanfordpsychbuildingandselected24
undergraduates(whohadnocriminalrecordandweredeemedpsychologically
healthy)toactasprisonersandguards.Researchersthenobservedtheprisoners
(whohadtostayinthecells24hoursaday)andguards(whosharedeighthour
shifts)usinghiddencameras.
Theexperiment,whichwasscheduledtolastfortwoweeks,hadtobecutshort
afterjustsixdaysduetotheguards'abusivebehaviorinsomecasestheyeven
inflictedpsychologicaltortureandtheextremeemotionalstressandanxiety
exhibitedbytheprisoners.
"Theguardsescalatedtheiraggressionagainsttheprisoners,strippingthemnaked,
puttingbagsovertheirheads,andthenfinallyhadthemengageinincreasingly
humiliatingsexualactivities,"ZimbardotoldAmericanScientist."AftersixdaysIhad
toenditbecauseitwasoutofcontrolIcouldn'treallygotosleepatnightwithout
worryingwhattheguardscoulddototheprisoners."
Wedon'tnoticewhat'srightinfrontofus.
Thinkyouknowwhat'sgoingonaroundyou?Youmightnotbenearlyasawareas
youthink.In1998,researchersfromHarvardandKentStateUniversitytargeted
pedestriansonacollegecampustodeterminehowmuchpeoplenoticeabouttheir
immediateenvironments.Intheexperiment,anactorcameuptoapedestrianand
askedfordirections.Whilethepedestrianwasgivingthedirections,twomen
carryingalargewoodendoorwalkedbetweentheactorandthepedestrian,
completelyblockingtheirviewofeachotherforseveralseconds.Duringthattime,
theactorwasreplacedbyanotheractor,oneofadifferentheightandbuild,and
withadifferentoutfit,haircutandvoice.Afullhalfoftheparticipantsdidn'tnotice
thesubstitution.
Theexperimentwasoneofthefirsttoillustratethephenomenonof"change
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blindness,"whichshowsjusthowselectiveweareaboutwhatwetakeinfromany
givenvisualsceneanditseemsthatwerelyonmemoryandpatternrecognition
significantlymorethanwemightthink.
Delayinggratificationishardbutwe'remoresuccessfulwhen
wedo.
AfamousStanfordexperimentfromthelate1960stestedpreschoolchildren's
abilitytoresistthelureofinstantgratificationandityieldedsomepowerful
insightsaboutwillpowerandselfdiscipline.Intheexperiment,fouryearoldswere
putinaroombythemselveswithamarshmallowonaplateinfrontofthem,and
toldthattheycouldeithereatthetreatnow,oriftheywaiteduntiltheresearcher
returned15minuteslater,theycouldhavetwomarshmallows.
Whilemostofthechildrensaidthey'dwait,theyoftenstruggledtoresistandthen
gavein,eatingthetreatbeforetheresearcherreturned,TIMEreports.Thechildren
whodidmanagetoholdoffforthefull15minutesgenerallyusedavoidancetactics,
liketurningawayorcoveringtheireyes.Theimplicationsofthechildren'sbehavior
weresignificant:Thosewhowereabletodelaygratificationweremuchlesslikelyto
beobese,ortohavedrugaddictionorbehavioralproblemsbythetimetheywere
teenagers,andweremoresuccessfullaterinlife.
Wecanexperiencedeeplyconflictingmoralimpulses.
Afamous1961studybyYalepsychologistStanleyMilgramtested(rather
alarmingly)howfarpeoplewouldgotoobeyauthorityfigureswhenaskedtoharm
others,andtheintenseinternalconflictbetweenpersonalmoralsandtheobligation
toobeyauthorityfigures.
MilgramwantedtoconducttheexperimenttoprovideinsightintohowNaziwar
criminalscouldhaveperpetuatedunspeakableactsduringtheHolocaust.Todoso,
hetestedapairofparticipants,onedeemedthe"teacher"andtheotherdeemed
the"learner."Theteacherwasinstructedtoadministerelectricshockstothe
learner(whowassupposedlysittinginanotherroom,butinrealitywasnotbeing
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shocked)eachtimetheygotquestionswrong.Milgraminsteadplayedrecordings
whichmadeitsoundlikethelearnerwasinpain,andifthe"teacher"subject
expressedadesiretostop,theexperimenterproddedhimtogoon.Duringthefirst
experiment,65percentofparticipantsadministeredapainful,final450voltshock
(labeled"XXX"),althoughmanywerevisiblystressedanduncomfortableabout
doingso.
Whilethestudyhascommonlybeenseenasawarningofblindobedienceto
authority,ScientificAmericanrecentlyrevisitedit,arguingthattheresultswere
moresuggestiveofdeepmoralconflict.
"Humanmoralnatureincludesapropensitytobeempathetic,kindandgoodtoour
fellowkinandgroupmembers,plusaninclinationtobexenophobic,cruelandevil
totribalothers,"journalistMichaelShermerwrote."Theshockexperimentsreveal
notblindobediencebutconflictingmoraltendenciesthatliedeepwithin."
Recently,somecommentershavecalledMilgram'smethodologyintoquestion,and
onecriticnotedthatrecordsoftheexperimentperformedatYalesuggestedthat60
percentofparticipantsactuallydisobeyedorderstoadministerthehighestdosage
shock.
We'reeasilycorruptedbypower.
There'sapsychologicalreasonbehindthefactthatthoseinpowersometimesact
towardsotherswithasenseofentitlementanddisrespect.A2003studypublished
inthejournalPsychologicalReviewputstudentsintogroupsofthreetowritea
shortpapertogether.Twostudentswereinstructedtowritethepaper,whilethe
otherwastoldtoevaluatethepaperanddeterminehowmucheachstudentwould
bepaid.Inthemiddleoftheirwork,aresearcherbroughtinaplateoffivecookies.
Althoughgenerallythelastcookiewasnevereaten,the"boss"almostalwaysate
thefourthcookieandateitsloppily,mouthopen.
"Whenresearchersgivepeoplepowerinscientificexperiments,theyaremorelikely
tophysicallytouchothersinpotentiallyinappropriateways,toflirtinmoredirect
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fashion,tomakeriskychoicesandgambles,tomakefirstoffersinnegotiations,to
speaktheirmind,andtoeatcookiesliketheCookieMonster,withcrumbsallover
theirchinsandchests,"psychologistDacherKeltner,oneofthestudy'sleaders,
wroteinanarticleforUCBerkeley'sGreaterGoodScienceCenter.
Weseekoutloyaltytosocialgroupsandareeasilydrawnto
intergroupconflict.
Thisclassic1950ssocialpsychologyexperimentshinedalightonthepossible
psychologicalbasisofwhysocialgroupsandcountriesfindthemselvesembroiled
inconflictwithoneanotherandhowtheycanlearntocooperateagain.
StudyleaderMuzaferSheriftooktwogroupsof11boys(allage11)toRobbers
CaveStateParkinOklahomafor"summercamp."Thegroups(namedthe"Eagles"
andthe"Rattlers")spentaweekapart,havingfuntogetherandbonding,withno
knowledgeoftheexistenceoftheothergroup.Whenthetwogroupsfinally
integrated,theboysstartedcallingeachothernames,andwhentheystarted
competinginvariousgames,moreconflictensuedandeventuallythegroups
refusedtoeattogether.Inthenextphaseoftheresearch,Sherifdesigned
experimentstotrytoreconciletheboysbyhavingthemenjoyleisureactivities
together(whichwasunsuccessful)andthenhavingthemsolveaproblemtogether,
whichfinallybegantoeasetheconflict.
Weonlyneedonethingtobehappy.
The75yearHarvardGrantstudyoneofthemostcomprehensivelongitudinal
studieseverconductedfollowed268maleHarvardundergraduatesfromthe
classesof19381940(nowwellintotheir90s)for75years,regularlycollectingdata
onvariousaspectsoftheirlives.Theuniversalconclusion?Lovereallyisallthat
matters,atleastwhenitcomestodetermininglongtermhappinessandlife
satisfaction.
Thestudy'slongtimedirector,psychiatristGeorgeVaillant,toldTheHuffingtonPost
thattherearetwopillarsofhappiness:"Oneislove.Theotherisfindingawayof
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copingwithlifethatdoesnotpushloveaway."Forexample,oneparticipantbegan
thestudywiththelowestratingforfuturestabilityofallthesubjectsandhehad
previouslyattemptedsuicide.Butattheendofhislife,hewasoneofthehappiest.
Why?AsVaillantexplains,Hespenthislifesearchingforlove.
Wethrivewhenwehavestrongselfesteemandsocialstatus.
Achievingfameandsuccessisn'tjustanegoboostitcouldalsobeakeyto
longevity,accordingtothenotoriousOscarwinnersstudy.Researchersfrom
Toronto'sSunnybrookandWomen'sCollegeHealthSciencesCentrefoundthat
AcademyAwardwinningactorsanddirectorstendtolivelongerthanthosewho
werenominatedbutlost,withwinningactorsandactressesoutlivingtheirlosing
peersbynearlyfouryears.
"WearenotsayingthatyouwilllivelongerifyouwinanAcademyAward,"Donald
Redelmeier,theleadauthorofthestudy,toldABCNews."Orthatpeopleshouldgo
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outandtakeactingcourses.Ourmainconclusionissimplythatsocialfactorsare
important...Itsuggeststhataninternalsenseofselfesteemisanimportantaspect
tohealthandhealthcare."
Weconstantlytrytojustifyourexperiencessothattheymakesensetous.
Anyonewho'stakenafreshmanPsych101classisfamiliarwithcognitive
dissonance,atheorywhichdictatesthathumanbeingshaveanaturalpropensityto
avoidpsychologicalconflictbasedondisharmoniousormutuallyexclusivebeliefs.
Inanoftencited1959experiment,psychologistLeonFestingeraskedparticipants
toperformaseriesofdulltasks,liketurningpegsinawoodenknob,foranhour.
Theywerethenpaideither$1or$20totella"waitingparticipant"(akaa
researcher)thatthetaskwasveryinteresting.Thosewhowerepaid$1tolierated
thetasksasmoreenjoyablethanthosewhowerepaid$20.Theirconclusion?
Thosewhowerepaidmorefeltthattheyhadsufficientjustificationforhaving
performedtherotetaskforanhour,butthosewhowereonlypaid$1felttheneed
tojustifythetimespent(andreducethelevelofdissonancebetweentheirbeliefs
andtheirbehavior)bysayingthattheactivitywasfun.Inotherwords,we
commonlytellourselvesliestomaketheworldappearamorelogical,harmonious
place.
Webuyintostereotypesinabigway.
Stereotypingvariousgroupsofpeoplebasedonsocialgroup,ethnicityorclassis
somethingnearlyallofusdo,evenifwemakeaneffortnottoanditcanleadus
todrawunfairandpotentiallydamagingconclusionsaboutentirepopulations.NYU
psychologistJohnBargh'sexperimentson"automaticityofsocialbehavior"
revealedthatweoftenjudgepeoplebasedonunconsciousstereotypesandwe
can'thelpbutactonthem.Wealsotendtobuyintostereotypesforsocialgroups
thatweseeourselvesbeingapartof.Inonestudy,Barghfoundthatagroupof
participantswhowereaskedtounscramblewordsrelatedtooldage"Florida,"
"helpless"and"wrinkled"walkedsignificantlyslowerdownthehallwayafterthe
experimentthanthegroupwhounscrambledwordsunrelatedtoage.Bargh
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repeatedthefindingsintwoothercomparablestudiesthatenforcedstereotypes
basedonraceandpoliteness.
"Stereotypesarecategoriesthathavegonetoofar,"BarghtoldPsychologyToday.
"Whenweusestereotypes,wetakeinthegender,theage,thecoloroftheskinof
thepersonbeforeus,andourmindsrespondwithmessagesthatsayhostile,
stupid,slow,weak.Thosequalitiesaren'toutthereintheenvironment.Theydon't
reflectreality."
Also on HuffPost:
5 Ways To Capture That "Aha!" Mom
MORE:TheThirdMetric,EmotionalIntelligence,Wisdom,StanleyMilgram,StanfordPrisonExperiments,
PsychologicalStudies,SelfUnderstanding,CookieExperiment,PsychologicalExperiments,RobbersCave
Experiment
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