'Martha Cottam’s Introduction to Political Psychology: Analysis Essay\r'

'Opinion Paper\r\nIn innovation to Political Psychology, Martha Cottam uses scientific methodology and procedures to unravel the genial reasoning behind accessible and domestic general policies. As we squander journeyed through the first weeks of Govt 319, we have experienced the themes in Cottam in our day-to-day sort outinging work ons, class activities and lectures. In particular, we have studied the horrible influence of authoritarian rule on personalities. In â€Å"the cockle” we byword a group of gamey school students em military forceed through fascism/authoritarian rule, mobilized by a larger ideal, take power.\r\nIn the Stanford prison house Experiment we motto how authoritarian power corrupts, how tear down the intimately innocent of people can be driven to do horrendous acts. Lastly, the â€Å"Shipwreck exercise” we examined the complexities of group dynamics and roles, how an say-so figures can deflect individuals from otherwise logical cho ices, but also examines how individuals nifty to compromise in groups. In each of these activities we experience, the pages of Cottam and the mental complexities of politics relevantly in play.\r\nSee more than: how to start a paragraph\r\nIn â€Å"the Wave” teacher Rainer Wenger is able to mobilize his students into a atrophied authoritarian regime. â€Å"Herr Wenger” himself loses sight of reality and becomes obsessed with his sheer(a) power over the students. Throughout the movie we hitch the students adopt fascistic authoritarian manners and procedures. Ironically temporary hookup in that respect atomic number 18 no more loving insecurities between the members of â€Å"the Wave” united by their label, except they neglect those not within the group. Moreover, while the students argued in the beginning that Germany could n forever undergo another fascist government, they themselves unconsciously evolve into a fascist regime by the end of the mov ie. Themes in the movie come forth regularly in Cottam, victimisation Altemeyer as graphic symbol:\r\nâ€Å"Psychologically, right wing authoritarianism is submission to sensed authorities, particularly those in the establishment or instinctiveized system of governance” (Altemeyer, 1996). The students believed so much in the power and leadership of Herr Wenger that they became submissive to the teacher, as he was the living form of an ideal. This too relating back to fascist governments, where people felt submissive and inferior to the power of the central figure. In the â€Å"Stanford Prison Experiment” we saw how seemingly regular college students can be saturnine into brutal, pitiless individuals, when given authoritarian power. Tasked with the role of prison guard, the students treated their peers rather ruthlessly.\r\nIn this, they tortured their crevice classmates, much without regard for the mental well world of the inmate. The experiment may be compar ed to fascist national socialism’s in which, people were paid and tasked with the accountability to kill millions in what we know now as the Holocaust, to them it was simply work. Commentating on these personality traits Cottam explains: â€Å"Groups demand loyalty, compliance, and bowing and those psychological factors can override even powerfully held values: for example, perpetrators of genocide in the Holocaust who explained their behavior in terms of obedience to the norms in the group (e.g., â€Å"I did it because I was stationed to do so)” (Cottam 10).\r\n mend in the interviews the students spoke with great shame, they did not rule back while in the experiment. It became so that excruciate the inmates became amusing, and the guards lost all understanding in the inmates. This sympathy was ever present in the Holocaust, where so many stood by and simply did as they were told, not consciously being both(prenominal)ered by the acts they were committing.\r\n In â€Å"the ruin exercise” we studied group dynamics using the scenario of a shipwreck. In this the group must localise a series of possibly useful equipment, without occupation and tension. We saw how people shied away from confrontation from the authority figure, opting to simply go with the group. Using Altemeyer Cottam explains: â€Å"Those high in right-wing authoritarianism have greater bar than low scorers in engaging in comminuted thinking. They are more likely to agree with a statement of fact without examining it critically” (Altemeyer 1996).\r\nWhile there were authoritarian figures within the group, those who were confident in their judgment of the equipments rank, there was also a desire to carry off for each other and sacrifice. Citing the Authoritarian Personality landing field Cottam talks about these dynamics: â€Å"But social identity goes beyond group dynamics. People are influenced by groups, but are also personally driven to support gro ups to which they are strongly obligateé. They make sacrafices that are sometimes extraordinary, for the sake of the group” (Aderno et al 50). In many cases we as a group felt the need to compromise, in order to satisfy the congeniality of the group.\r\nThis I feel is an ever relevant considering that while there is a inwrought authoritarian desire, to have things go your way, it is furthermore natural to be kind, and sympathetic to others. In each of these activities we saw how authoritarian rule can manipulate the most regular of people into committing the worst of crimes. In both â€Å"the Stanford prison experiment” and â€Å"the Wave” we saw the mistreat of power; on the contrary in the shipwreck exercise we saw how groups were also keen on sympathy and compromise. In this I believe that it natural to be sympathetic towards all groups, though when a strong authoritarian figure is present it is also easy to be manipulated.\r\nBibliography\r\nAdorno, T., Frenkel-Brunswick, E., Levinson, D., & Sanford, P. (1950). The authoritarian personality. rude(a) York: Harper Altemeyer, B. (1996). The authoritarian specter. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Cottam, M. (2010). foundation to Political Psychology. NewYork: Psychology Press.\r\n'