Attitude Analysis: Sexual Harassment

The topic of my attitude analysis was sexual harassment on the street.  The specific attitude i was targeting was the belief that sexual harassment is normal. I think this attitude is mainly cognitively based and is reinforced via operant and classical conditioning. Therefore i was targeting  the cognitive and affective base. I did this using fear/empathy arousing communication and the peripheral route to persuasion. My target group were males from the age of 14 to 17.

Many people who have the attitude that sexual harassment is normal think that everyone else believes that too and take it to be a fact. By showing them that sexual harassment is in fact a big deal (news articles) I will shock them into accepting that we really do have a problem on our hands. I will then introduce them to ways in which they can contribute and help to put an end to this problem. I will also make sure to relate sexual harassment to the women in their own personal lives so as to make the issue more relevant to them and help them feel empathy.

This videos not only aims to make the boys aware of how serious the problem is, but also tell them that they have the power make a difference. Using Zimbardo’s psychology of heroism, I tell them how people like them can be heroes in their own lives, simply by not staying quiet in the face of evil. They are taught that in order to be a hero they must not be afraid to deviate from the norm and stand up for what’s right, even if no one else is. An emphasis is placed on their personal responsibility, thereby reducing the effects of deindividuation and diffusion of responsibility in public places.

Angels Vs. Devils

Aggression is found everywhere!

As part of a race who has caused more grief and destruction in their bid for power than any other on this earth, I have often wondered if all people are just bad. I mean look at the number of wars we started, the number of species we drove to extinction, the complete disregard for the environment and future generations! We must be horrible right? On the other hand, I’ve witnessed acts of kindness and compassion towards others that would render anyone speechless. So which is it? Are we good or are we bad?

Helping can make you feel good.

According to the evolutionary approach, aggression is innate. We are genetically programed to protect ourselves and our own and we wouldn’t have any problems hurting others in the process. But do we really go around muscling our way through life? Probably not. The reason why our civilization works is because we help each other. According to evolutionary psychology, people who helped each other were more likely to survive long enough to reproduce and pass on their genes via natural selection. But that would mean that everyone is helpful, which is not the case. So why do people not help? According to the social exchange theory, when helping someone is at the expense of yourself, you’ll decide against helping. Also, if you don’t empathise with whoever needs help, you’ll be less likely to help them. Helping is also pretty complicated. You need to notice a situation, interpret it as an emergency, assume responsibility, know how to help and go for it. Most of the time these conditions aren’t all met. Also, when you’re surrounded by lots of people, the bystander effect is likely to take place and diffusion of responsibility occurs, so nobody ends up helping.

Selfishness is human nature.

Altruism is defined as the desire to help another even if it involves a cost to the helper.  Studies have also suggested the existence of an ‘altruistic personality’. But I believe in neither. I think people help each other when it’s in their benefit to do so, and hurt each other when it’s in their benefit to do so. You might think someone’s an angel and always helpful, but maybe it just so happens that all the situations they were placed in brought out the helpful side in them. People are neither bad nor good. People are driven.