Main -> In the News: Social

One Man Says No to Harsh Interrogation Techniques. (NPR, 2/14/2011, 25 mins)

"In a conversation with Dave Davies on NPR's Fresh Air, Alexander details the interrogation tactics he used while conducting his kill-or-capture missions in the area of Iraq where Zafar was thought to be hiding.

'The first step of any interrogation is to understand your detainee, understand what uniquely motivates them as an individual,' he explains. '[You have to understand] why they joined al-Qaida or another insurgent group, why they decided to pick up arms. And if you can analyze them and figure out those motivations, then you can craft an appropriate approach and incentive, but not until you've done that.'"

Discussion question: Identify two or more social psychological concepts in this interview.

Game of Death: France’s Shocking TV Experiment (Time, 3/17/2010)     

“The documentary has generated a massive amount of attention — and naturally, courted controversy — because of the dilemma that faced contestants on a fake game show in the film: Would they allow themselves to be cajoled into delivering near-lethal electrical charges to fellow players, or rather follow their better instincts and refuse?”

Discussion questions: Compare and contrast what they did for this documentary with Stanley Milgram’s original obedience research.  In what ways is it similar?  In what ways is it different?  Was Milgram’s obedience research ethical?  Was what they did for this documentary ethical?  Why or why not?

Monkeys, Candy, and Cognitive Dissonance (NY Times 1/27/2010)

M. Keith Chen, an economist, argues that the cognitive dissonance research suffers from the Monty Hall problem.  Louisa C. Egan, Laurie R. Santos and Paul Bloom ran an experiment that they say overcomes the Monty Hall problem and provides support for the theory of cognitive dissonance.  Chen thinks the design is better, but still doesn't solve the problem.

Discussion questions: What is cognitive dissonance?  What is the Monty Hall problem, and what is problematic for the theory of cognitive dissonance?  How does the new Egan, Bloom, and Santos experiment address this issue?  Why is Chen still not satisfied?

Journal article: Egan, L. C., Bloom, P., & Santos, L. R. (2010). Choice-induced preferences in the absence of choice: Evidence from a blind two choice paradigm with young children and capuchin monkeys. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 204-207. doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2009.08.014