Discuss The Role Of Groupthink In Civil Disobedience

The experiment found that two-thirds of the people continued to the highest level of 450 volts (Mcleod, “Milgram”). The rest of the people still obeyed the orders of the authority, just to a lesser level. Apparent from the Stanley-Milgram Experiment, “People tend to obey orders from other people if they recognize their authority as morally right and/or legally based. This response to legitimate authority is learned in a variety of situations, for example in the family, school, and workplace” (Mcleod, “Milgram”). Hitler’s antics allowed him to be viewed as the higher authority from the legal aspect: Hitler established himself as the Chancellor of Germany, the highest power of Germany; consequently, he was able to implement the policies and
The psychological term for this is groupthink, which is a subconscious occurence in the human mind. To propagate this idea, there is also the social pressure that is put on the individuals. Because of this, people would be too afraid to even question the grey area. With the apprehension lying on everyone’s mind, people began to think like each other as a means of survival. Consequently, it became hard for one voice to speak out and counter what the majority is saying, thereby solidifying his control. Hitler advanced this strategy by completely wiping those who disagreed with the Nazis. Those who remained continued to believe that what the Nazis were doing was immoral were convinced that they were alone and isolated (Kayla). Moreover, as many psychological experiments reveal, humans instinctively conform as a result of survival instincts. The urge to survive outweighs any morality in an acute situation, heightening the violent tendencies of each individual. Consequently, the group mentality changes as well due to the effects of mob mentality. As Dr. Sajid Surve wrote, “Le Bon posited that once individuals came together to form a group, the individual’s will was surrendered to what was perceived to be the will of the group. Their faculties of reasoning were impaired or destroyed, and
If something is in black and white, and this will always lead to that, it is easier to shape a person’s thoughts and ideas (Brown). The either or statements also added to the sense of urgency that insinuated people to take action (Science). Hitler’s vicarious reinforcement is a form of strategic repetition; it is similar to the rewards and punishment system, but it is enforced through law and officials in order to establish it as a social norm (Brown). As time went on, “They understood, seeing the horrors of the concentration camps and deportations, that them and their families could easily be in that position if they spoke up against the Nazis. Nazi induced fear kept everything in their control for a very long time.” (Kayla). Other than just using laws, Hitler’s speeches also included trigger words with negative connotation to elicit that instant response in the crowd, like shouts and jeering (Science). To further this strategy, Hitler had a fixed schedule of persuasion. This is a psychological term that entails that behaviors are rewarded/punished every single time. The opposite of fixed schedule is an interval schedule: “...an interval schedule, and behaviors aren’t rewarded or punished every single time, then the behavior isn’t going to be conditioned as strongly, as effectively” (Brown). In Hitler’s case, every attempt at rebellion