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Category Archives: Group psychology
The “I”s do not have it.
People assume that others who often talk about themselves are egotistical. But, if you really want to find out how people view their own status, pay attention to pronouns that they use. There is a reason that kings, queens and various … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Mental health
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Neat little boxes
Not all research on how the brain functions comes to the same conclusions. In fact one of the major problems with applying brain-based theories in actual instruction is that the findings are frequently contradictory. The cellular structure of the brain … Continue reading
Posted in Education trends, Group psychology
Tagged brain based instruction, prejudice
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The prejudice against pessimism
You would think that having an accurate view of yourself, your situation and others around you would contribute to mental health. Well-adjusted humans are supposed to see the world realistically, and believing illusions is considered a hallmark of mental illness. … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Leadership, Manipulation, Persuasion
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Faking funny
Everybody loves the sound of laughter don’t they? The muffled giggle, the high pitch twitter, the polished chuckle, the wheezing chortle, and the deep belly laugh can all be taken differently depending on who is uttering the sound. Real involuntary … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Laughter and humor, Persuasion
Tagged animals laughing, fake laughter, Greg bryant
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No one wants to laugh alone
Just beyond the door of my office a photographer was setting up a lights. He was also chatting with everyone who passed by. Finally he got down to the business of spreading out the tripods that held the lights. Then, … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Laughter and humor
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He laughs, she laughs
Once I heard a bit of advice spoken by one adolescent boy to another. “Do you want to know if a girl likes you? Tell a really stupid joke, the stupider the better. If she laughs, she likes you.” It has been … Continue reading
The giggling girls have power
Why can’t we be all like adolescent girls, and laugh more? The topic of the discussion thread caught my attention. Evidently girls between the ages of 11 and 18 all over the world laugh more than any other group. In … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Laughter and humor, Manipulation
Tagged adolescent girls, giggle, giggling, laughter, manipulation, power
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The unprincipled conformist
The rebel with a cause is one of favorite heroic types in fiction. But the “foil” of the principled nonconformist, the unprincipled conformist, is also a common antagonist. What makes this character so villainous? Conformity requires that a person at … Continue reading
Rebel with a cause
As much as people may be willing to mimic the behavior and appearance of others in order to fit in, secretly they often envy those who show intentional dissent. According research we admire the person who has the guts to … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Story structure, Writer's resource
Tagged influence people, majorities, minority view, win friends
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What kind of deviant?
Authors are well aware that readers favor the rebel who follows a different drummer or stands defiant before the crowd. Social psychologists and sociologists have actually done a good deal of research on groups’ reaction to this kind of person. … Continue reading
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