Examining the 'Peer' in Peer Pressure
Dr. Vanessa Bohns, article 'Would You Lie for Me?' published this past Sunday in the New York Times.
In the article Dr. Bohns discusses the research she and her students have been working on. Referring to their results published in the psychology journal; Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Dr. Bohns writes about social studies tests conducted and their sometimes surprising results.
'The Devil Made Me Do It'
We've often heard that phrase and where most current and popular discussion in social psychology has focussed on the actor or person performing the act and the thought processes that are achieved when agreeing or disagreeing to perform an questionable or unethical act. Dr. Bohns and her students turned the microscope 180° and examined the intentions and influence of the devil himself - in a manner of speaking.
- Dr. Vanessa K. Bohns
In this way, by taking a more focussed look at the psychology of the instigator rather than the actor through a variety of controlled studies, Vanessa's team found that more often than not we're unaware of the power of our own influence in many day to day encounters.
Find out more about Dr. Bohn's research and read her New York Times Article.