by Oriana Ward, Ellen Hollins, and Bari Anue

What would crusade someone to join a cult and do crazy things to accolade their membership within it? Well ultimately, most people who join cults due so considering of manipulation by a single leader. Most groups, both cult and non-cult, offer their members a sense of family, identity, friendship, and respect. They also offer construction. Nosotros humans are drawn to this and most leaders of these types of groups use this to their reward.

What We Read

The commodity my group read talked nigh Peoples Temple and its leader Jim Jones. Initially, Peoples Temple wasn't a cult. It  started out every bit a seemingly good organisation. Every bit the leader of Peoples Temple, Jim Jones believed in socialism and communalism. He wanted to create an environment good for all people, including the African American move. During the seventy'south his church was one of the but to be desegregated in his town and offered a place where both African Americans and Caucasian people, likewise as other races could come together and span a gap. His church building too made a way for people to practice lots of good for the community. As well that, information technology offered them a father figure, someone they could look upward to and come to for guidance. This was all groovy simply it apace turned into a nightmare.

Once Jim Jones got a large following he moved the group to Guyana. Those that followed him there did then as a symbol of their alliance to his group and his teachings. Although he seemed 1 way he quickly changed. If any of his members could be punished for things such every bit trying to go out, not performing to his standards, or even only for the fun of others. To add to this he  would have "White Nights" and "Suicide Drills." He would do this when he felt there was crisis in the town and that his members were in danger. He would requite the members toxicant and and so merely after they drank it would he tell them that it was faux and that they weren't going to die. All of these actions and events were tactics he used to make sure his members remained loyal to him and fearful of him. On Nov 18, 1978 Jones conducted a real Suicide Drill. The children were given the poison start and then all the adults and anyone who tried to escape was still forced to have the poison. Many people believe Jones conducted this mass killing because he got besides caught upwards in control and had lost his mind.

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What We Know

Why was Jones able to have so much command over his members? Social Psychology can explain this. Initially when people joined Peoples Temple it was non a cult. It was a safe community.

  • Jones drew people in with what they wanted to hear.
  • He used the norm of reciprocity which states that if someone does something nice for you, you'll feel obligated to do the same for them. Peoples Temple ran many dissimilar programs such as drug rehabilitation programs and medical programs for the needy. Everybody helped everybody.
  • Jones used the foot in the door technique where he would make a small need, then gradually increase to larger demands. Jones did this until he finally convinced his members to motility to another state where they lived in the middle of nowhere and were eventually murdered. People will continue to comply in society to award their original agreement
  • Many people probably experienced  post decisional cognitive dissonance which is when y'all make a decision and realize it was stupid only tin't change it. You volition and so do anything to justify your decision. Many of the members gave upwards their homes, families, and money. They probably didn't want to leave because they didn't want to have to bargain with the fact that they made a terrible conclusion.
  • Jones used operant conditioning (advantage and penalisation). If any of the members questioned Jones they would be punished with things such as beatings. This created guilt and made them feel like they deserved it.
    • They didn't get out after they were punished considering of normative social influence (peer pressure) and because of informational social influence which is when people are uncertain so they expect to the group for guidance and then arrange to that.
  • Another huge thing that was taking identify in this situation was groupthink. People desire harmony and peace which tin result in incorrect determination making within a group. Members volition try to lessen conflict without having any outside influence or decisions. This can lead the group to overestimate its ability and morality, to exist closed minded, and to feel strong pressure to suit fifty-fifty when they want to deviate.

These along with many other social factors played apart in the success of Jim Jones and Peoples Temple.

The Social Psychology of Cults, The People'due south Templ e

Success in the Peoples Temple Cult