Obedience to Authority Theory and Kyrie Irving Essay

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Social PsychologyIntroductionThe field of social psychology is concerned with understanding how people interact with each other and the ways in which these interactions affect their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. As such, social psychology can be useful in a variety of settings including businesses, schools, and healthcare. For example, social psychologists may study how workplace morale can be improved or how to reduce prejudice and discrimination in educational institutions. In the realm of healthcare, social psychologists may investigate how to increase patients\' adherence to treatment regimens or how to reduce stress and anxiety in medical staff (Meyers & Dewall, 2021). Overall, it is my impression that social psychology provides a valuable tool for understanding and improving human social behavior.Cognitive Dissonance, Obedience to Authority, ConformityCognitive dissonance is the psychological phenomenon of experiencing discomfort when faced with conflicting thoughts or ideas. The theory of cognitive dissonance was first proposed by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957, and has since been extensively studied and developed (Meyers & Dewall, 2021). According to Festinger, humans have a natural tendency towards psychological consistency, and will experience dissonance when they encounter information that contradicts their existing beliefs (Meyers & Dewall, 2021). This cognitive dissonance can lead to a variety of different behaviors, including changing one\'s beliefs to align with the new information, rationalizing the inconsistency, or simply ignoring the conflicting information altogether. The obedience to authority theory posits that individuals have a natural tendency to obey figures of authority, even if those figures are asking them to act against their own interests.

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The theory has been extensively studied since the 1940s, when psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of controversial experiments on obedience. Although the theory has come under criticism in recent years, it continues to be influential in our understanding of human behavior (Meyers & Dewall,…

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…group is so prevalent in our society. Ignoring these biases will only perpetuate inequality. And yet social psychology helps us to understand why these judgments are made, and why people of all groups tend to trust to their own groups rather than seek unity among all groups. Factions view one another with suspicion and throw stereotypes about others in both ways. It is ultimately a two-way street of accusation and conformity.ConclusionWhile cognitive dissonance is often experienced as a negative emotion, it can also motivate people to change their behavior or thinking in order to reduce the discomfort. In this way, it can be seen as a powerful tool for learning and personal growth. Likewise, the obedience to authority theory can help us to understand everything from why people follow orders during wartime to why they obey traffic laws. Conformity theory also helps to explain out-group and in-group actions, as the….....

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