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> Nevertheless, the attitude-change techniques used by so-called “brainwashers” are no different than standard persuasive methods identified by social psycholog
by MichaelCollins 4y ago
> Nevertheless, the attitude-change techniques used by so-called “brainwashers” are no different than standard persuasive methods identified by social psychologists, such as encouraging commitment to goals, manufacturing source credibility, forging an illusion of group consensus, and vivid testimonials
The brainwashing techniques used by various cults, criminal gangs and regimes go far beyond these gentle methods. Particularly, I sure hope social psychologists don't use torture. (Social isolation, food deprivation, and much worse.)
- hobs 4y agoDepends on if they put you in a mental institution, because then they definitely do, also physical torture if you act up enough!
- cbsmith 4y ago> I sure hope social psychologists don't use torture. The phrasing was very specific: " standard persuasive methods identified by social psychologists". You don't need to use a method just because you've identified it.
- runarberg 4y ago> I sure hope social psychologists don't use torture. Read up on psychologist’s participation in the Guantanamo prison camp torture program. Indeed many psychologists did use torture, and it is something of a really dark spot in the history of the American Psychology Association.
- marginalia_nu 4y agoThe broader history of psychiatry has so many dark spots one might confuse it for a dalmatian.
- enneff 4y agoThe broader history of almost any profession/industry is similarly checkered. Engineering, farming, medicine, charity/aid… humans will do bad things whatever field they’re in.
- quickthrower2 4y agoDid these psychologists think they were helping the greater good? And who convinced them?
- runarberg 4y agoThis scandal generated a whole host of reports, it collapsed the APA leadership. Books have been written about it. I am not a journalist, nor a historian. And I don’t have enough knowledge about it to answer any detailed questions about it, other then the fact that it happened. I’m sure you can find information by googling e.g. “APA torture” or “James Mitchell” and “Bruce Jessen” the two most prominent psychologists guilty of torturing people.
- runarberg 4y agoEdit period is over, so I’m responding to my own post. My post actually inspired my self to do some googling, and here is an excellent interview from 2009 that goes into the personal story of these two tortures, hopefully it answers some of your questions: https://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/ https://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell... Do note though that this is before the scandal had reached the APA leadership (which happened in 2013 if I remember correctly) and before any legal actions were taken against them. So there is definitely more to this story that has emerged since 2009.
- quickthrower2 4y agoThanks super interesting. In addition to the lack of ethics, it sounds like there was no proof that the methods would even work, and it was a pseudoscience.
- xmddmx 4y agoI canceled my APA membership over this. People asked APA to condemn it and they did not. Weak sauce on my part (to just cancel) but yeah, that was not cool.
- coldtea 4y ago>I sure hope social psychologists don't use torture Oh, you'd be surprised. Psychiatry and psychology have some very dark corners, in the past and now. Some of them are well documented and studied too.