Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, believed that crowd behavior (sometimes called “mob psychology”) leads to unlocking the unconscious mind in becoming identified with a “group mentality” in the slogans or motivations of a charismatic leader. More contemporary theories of crowd behavior, such as psychologist Philip Zimbardo’s idea of “deindividuation,” claim that anonymity and group unity can persuade people to lose their concern for others, and reduce their sensitivity to guilt, remorse, and self-evaluation. In this podcast, we will talk about the power of “suggestion” and how it functions in close relationships and public spaces. If you wonder how and why anti-social behavior and lack of forethought can overtake people in large protests or mass movements, this podcast is for you.
What is death? Is it a flat-lining on the EEG in which the brain goes quiet? Is it cardiac arrest, the stopping of the...
In 1958, psychologist Fritz Heider originated “attribution theory” in psychology. This theory tried to answer the question: How do people make sense of what...
How are passive and active essentially biological and hard-wired through our mammalian brains? What does the limbic system have to do with our sense...