Experiments With People: Revelations From Social Psychology

by Robert P. Abelson, Kurt P. Frey, Aiden P. Gregg

Experiments With People showcases 28 intriguing studies that have significantly advanced our understanding of human thought and social behavior. These studies, mostly laboratory experiments, shed light on the irrationality of everyday thinking, the cruelty and indifference of 'ordinary' people, the operation of the unconscious mind, and the intimate bond between the self and others. This book tells the inside story of how social psychological research gets done and why it matters.

Each chapter focuses on the details and implications of a single study, but cites related research and real-life examples. All chapters are self-contained, allowing them to be read in any order. Each chapter is divided into:
*Background--provides the rationale for the study;
*What They Did--outlines the design and procedure used;
*What They Found--summarizes the results obtained;
*So What?--articulates the significance of those results;
*Afterthoughts--explores the broader issues raised by the study; and
*Revelation--encapsulates the 'take-home message' of each chapter.

This paperback is ideal as a main or supplementary text for courses in social psychology, introductory psychology, or research design.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science

376 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Vanessa Princessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book thanks to Blinkist.

The key message in this book:

Social psychology has much to tell us about the way we relate to ourselves and others, as well as the human condition in general. By looking at studies from throughout the twentieth century, we can better understand why we act the way we do, what makes us tick and how our minds work.

[Zhijing Jin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd love to put this close to the book "Game Theory in Everyday Life" [My Review].

There exists a long debate of whether human nature is kind or evil. My hypothesis is that the reward structure decides what most people choose to do. (Note that the exceptions could be those that are foresighted to see the long-term reward, or those who stick to certain rules as firm deontologists.)

This book provides empirical examples that are well-controlled to build causal conclusions on. Some examples are as follows:

- Milgram's Obedience Study: Stanley Milgram's experiment examined the extent to which individuals would obey an authority figure, even when instructed to perform actions that conflicted with their personal morals and ethics.

- Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment: Philip Zimbardo's study simulated a prison environment to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power and authority, revealing how *quickly* individuals can adopt abusive behaviors when placed in certain roles.

- Asch's Conformity Experiment: This study, conducted by Solomon Asch, demonstrated the powerful influence of group pressure on individual judgment, showing that people often conform to the majority opinion even when it is clearly incorrect.

- Darley and Latané's Bystander Effect Study: John Darley and Bibb Latané's experiment demonstrated that the presence of others can inhibit an individual's willingness to help someone in need, a phenomenon known as the bystander effect. The more the inacting others, the less likely this person is to help.

- Sherif's Robbers Cave Experiment: Muzafer Sherif's research investigated intergroup conflict and cooperation, revealing how easily groups can develop hostility towards one another and the importance of shared goals in overcoming these divisions.

- Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment: Albert Bandura's study examined the role of observational learning in aggressive behavior, demonstrating that children can learn aggressive behaviors by observing and imitating others.

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Additional thought:
I always wonder how we can improve the scientific methodology in the field of psychology. Just take the Bystander Effect experiment as an example. One idea could be to move from more indirect causes to more direct causes. Although the number of bystanders could be a cause (an ancestor in the causal graph), maybe a better choice could be to think about the "mediators" (more direct causes), e.g., do the bystanders infer from the inaction of others that there was something wrong, bystanders' cultural value (how much does helping others bring spiritual capitals to the helper), ...

[Ahmed Al sanhani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I have read some of the experiments in other social psychology books I read previously, I still benfited from this book widening my understanding of people's behaviors helping me to be more aware when behaving or acting towsrd anything; it also helps me to understand people making me more efficient when dealing them