This vintage stunt from a 1962 episode of Candid Camera makes for a good laugh. But it also captures something important about human psychology.
We laugh that these people are manipulated like puppets on invisible strings, but this scenario makes us aware of the number of situations in which we mindlessly follow the dictates of group norms and situational forces.
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Pingback: Louisana Law Bans Cash Transactions! « Plato on-line
Very interesting. It is a funny video.
But , in reality, it is a little frightening that most people will obey the psychological pressure of social proof – doing what everyone else does. The sheep mentality.
A pefect example I see all the time. If you are at traffic lights and they are red.
Next thing two guys cross even though it’s a red light. What happens is that most people at the lights will also cross – without even looking to see if traffic is coming in their direction. As it is a gree light for traffic.
I see this all the time. Absolute conformity. In this case, it could cost someone their life.