07-F-2412 IPU 062 Using Social Psychological Construts to Explain and Predict inhumane Behaviors

;- -·-·- -·- -· - --- • • • Piing Sosjal Psychologlsal ConstracH ta £xplain and Predict lnlJumane Behavigg SociaJ psychologists have long bttn inrerested in trying to understand the mechanisms behind inhumane behaviors. Psychologists have been paniculady concerned in explaining how individuals and groups who usually act humanely can act ochm..ise in ctnain circumslances. and they have generated a number of theories and constructs to this end. The~ concepts can serve to both explain and predict the occ\llmlCe of inhumane behavior~ and chey also suggest that factors jnheren1 to war increase the likelihood that inhumane beha\iors will occur during war. DeludMduadon. Gu.~1ave Le Bon first wrot~ about deindividuaaion in l 89S. a process in which the anonymity. suggestibility and contagion pro\-idcd in a crowd aJJo~ for individuals to participate in anti- nonnativc and di.-;iohibited beha\·ior. Mare recent cxploralion nn deindi,·idu.ation has found JiuJe empirical suppon fot a psychological condi1ion of dtindi vtdua1ion {Oiene1". J 980). but rarher posit that individuals within a group experience reduced self·awarene.'\!r., which can resull in anti·nonnasivc and disinhibited behavior (Postmcs & !~, 19<18.) Groupthlnk. Grouptbinlc (Janis. 1972) is a phenamenon ~ewhat related to deindividuation, insofar as it posits lhat indi,•iduals often make very differenr decisions as pan of a group than they would make individually. Symptoms of groupthinl include: I) Illusion of ln\'Ulncrabili1y: group membe1~ beJieve the group is spec:ial and morally superior, and thercfmc it.~ decisions are good ones, 2) lllusron of Unanimity; members assume all mcmben arc in c:oru:uncnce. even when this'" no11hc case. and 3) Direct pr~~ure on dilisenters; pre.~ure i~ brought co bear on those who might dis..~nl. Dtbominiutlon. l"khumjni.zation is the-proc~~ in which ;ndividuals or group; arc viewed as ,;omehctw Je:q,~ than fuJly human ... [nemy lmaa•. Several authors ( Brofenbrc:nner. 1961, Smith and Mack.it, J 99.S) haw- examintd pautm~ l\f attitud~ that prevail in times of war. The COJ\CePl of enemy imaie desc:ribt~ the phenomenon in which borh side."' partic:ipating in a war tend lo view thesmelvt:$ as !!tl<'d and peace-loving peoples. while the enemy r~ inevitably lleen a." ~vii and aggl'C$5i'·e. The~ auitudes tend to esu1ate conflict and arc difficult lo dimini~h onct ~!itabl ished. l\1oral E'ldulion. Opocow {1991 J defines moral exclusion as a process in which on~ group vjews anothl.'r as fundamentally ditTmnt. which chen leadi; ((I a bel~f 1ha1 rrw prevailing moral rule.i; and practicei; apply to one group. but not the other. Through chis proc:ess. a group may feel justified io rrearing. another group in a manner lhal would he una<:ceptable within th~ir own cohort. Monl Dlwn.iemenL In Bandura 's ( 1991) !ioc:ial c:ognjtion theory. individuals rely on self-regulatory mechanisms to lramlale moral reasoning into actiolL\. The moral reasorung of individuals is ba.~ on many factors~ but self-monitoring and self.qula[ion are cn1jcal le> ahe rcsul•in1 11ruon atctlrding to social cognition theory. Bandura et al ( 1996) po~ic tha« a number off acrors can Jead 10 moral disengagement. which can result in agg1e~ive behavior by inhibiting the self·~gulalory mechanii;ms that generally result in moral behavior. Bandura and his colleagues idenlify a num~r l'ffl'c1ors that m1y result in moral disengagement, and may therefore lead to immoral or inhumane behaviors. These fKlor.t jnclude: • Marq/Jusriflcqtion. "Defrimerual conduce is made personally and socially acceptable by portraying it in the scrvi~ of \·alued social or moral purpo!'es··. Moral ju.i;tification can make "What wa.~ once morally censurable .. into ''a source for )X'Silive self·\181uation'·. • Eunhnnjs1jc Lqnguatt. Language affects attitudes and beliefs. and the use of euphemistic language "provides a convenient tool for masking reprehensible activities or even conferring a respectable status upon 1hem... A cenn such a~ ··~ftening up .. could be an example of euphemi"tic language . ------------- ... • Ad!•antqgemq Comoarison. "Injurious conduct can be rendered benign" when compared to mon: violent behaviors. This factor is likely to occur during war, in which abusive behaviors may appear less significant and somehow justifiable when compared to death and destruction. • Disttlqcpnent ofRe.gnsibllity. "People view lheir actions as springing fiom the scx:ial pressures or dictates of od1en rather than as something for which Ibey are socially responsible"'. Thi.~ is consisteat wilh statements from chose under investigation for abuses. • mf}Usion afRemgns/bflily. Group decisioos and behaviois can obscure responsibility; "When everyone is responsible, no one really feels responsible,.. • Di;lrgarding qr diVqrting flle comeeuences ofactions. Hannful acts can be minimized or ignored when lhe harm i.q inflicted for personal gain or because of social inducements. • DehH1Rinizqtion. Dchuminization .. divests people of human qualities» and results in those dehumanized to be seen as persons "wilhout feelings, hopes and concerns but as subhuman objccts07 • The authors note duu it is "'difficult to misueaa humanized persons without risking personal distress and self-censure,,. Dehumaniud persons may be viewed a.~ only 1'being influenceable by hmh means0 • • Attribution ofblame. "Victims gel blamed for bringing suffering on themselves", and those causing hum tend to justify their behavior on compelling circumstances. Detainee and intem>gation operations consist of a special subset of human interactions. which are charactem.ed by one group which has significant power and control over another relatively powerless group that must be managed. often against their will. This dynamic presents a unique moral climate in which the characteristics a.ociated with moral disengagement arc likely to ~t Widtom proper oversight and monitoring. such interactions cany a higher risk of moral disengagement on the pan of chose in power. which in tum is likely lo lead lo inhumane or abusive behaviors against those who are dctained/intenogated . • ••