Obedience to Authority Theory and Kyrie Irving

Social Psychology

Introduction

The 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, Conformity

Cognitive 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. 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, 2021).

Conformity theory is an attempt to explain why and when people conform. One of the most influential early theories of conformity was proposed by Solomon Asch in the 1950s. Asch suggested that people conform because they want to fit in with a group and be accepted by its members. According to this theory, people conform not because they believe that the group is right, but because they want to avoid being rejected by it (Meyers & Dewall, 2021).

Original Example: The Recent Issues of Kanye West, Kyrie Irving and Dave Chappelle

There are several aspects of social psychology that help to explain discrimination against minorities, people of color, and so on. One is the idea of in-group favoritism, which refers to the tendency for people to favor members of their own group over those from other groups—and this falls into the category of the theory of conformity (Meyers & Dewall, 2021). Another is the concept of out-group homogeneity, which means that people tend to see members of other groups as more similar to each other than they actually are. Both of these biases can lead to discrimination when people are making decisions about hiring, promoting, or lending money to others. It can be seen in the case of Kanye and Kyrie, as one person is lumped in with another even though the connection is tenuous at best or superficial at most. Additionally, Social Dominance Theory posits that there is a hierarchy among social groups, with some groups being dominant over others. This theory helps to explain why discrimination against minority groups is so widespread: because those in power are often reluctant to give up their privileges. This could fall into the category of Obedience to Authority theory—and as Dave pointed out in his SNL monologue, it is obvious to everyone that the authority in the media favors one group in particular.

Finally, the research on stereotype threat shows that when people feel like they may be stereotyped or judged negatively based on their group membership, they are more likely to behave in ways that confirm these stereotypes. That is most likely what has happened in the case of Kanye West. He saw certain people lining up against him in his different industries where he was trying to do business, and he identified it as Jewish collusion, seeing it as part of a greater stereotype about Jews that he had come to adopt as informing his perspective, based on his own personal experiences. Together, these ideas provide a helpful framework for understanding why discrimination against people of any 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.