The Science of Compliance

http://www.zacharyburt.com/2010/06/the-science-of-compliance/

by zackattack • 16 years ago

15 9 16 years ago

wdewind• 16 years ago

This is pretty interesting but I'm not sure about your example of Kitty Genovese. Although I think you use it in the standard way, I think the standard way is actually pretty wrong.

I live in NYC and have since I was born. The number of times I've heard screams going to bed is definitely in the 100s. So, I do think the Kitty Genovese story is a story of bias, but I think it's one of "boy who cried wolf" more than "herd mentality."

btilly4• 16 years ago

If you follow the link in the article to the story of Kitty Genovese, Wikipedia offers a lot of information pointing to exactly how wrong the standard view of the episode is.

There is something ironic about offering a bad example, and then linking to an explanation of how bad your example is which you clearly have not read.

zackattack2• 16 years ago

Where does it say "exactly how wrong the standard view" is? The example is only arguably "bad" because the number of reported witnesses to the murder may have been exaggerated.

bootload• 16 years ago

"... This is pretty interesting but I'm not sure about your example of Kitty Genovese. ... but I think it's one of "boy who cried wolf" more than "herd mentality"

From experience I say this is good example of compliance. The message in group situations like this is "don't get involved!", "I'm panicking", "I'm scared", "what can I do?" - resulting in inaction instead of action. By the time they react it's too late.

Humans can be unreliable in terrible situations requiring some kind of measured response when confronted with emergency situations. They do one of three things - fight, flight or freeze. Most reacting to their base level of training - that is, freeze. I've seen it first hand - they either freeze or move away, eyes averted. It still haunts me today. You can see the people who are trained. They are the ones reacting and running forward towards the trouble.

Reaction, doing something requires you to cast aside compliance and do what needs to be done regardless of the consequences, social or otherwise cf: "Stockdale Paradox" ~ http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/brutal-facts.html#aud...

The Science of Compliance

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