In social psychology evil can be defined as the tendency to intentionally behave in ways that harm, abuse, demean, dehumanize, or destroy innocent others (Zimbardo, 2008). This behaviorally focused definition makes the individual mainly responsible for purposeful, motivated actions that have negative consequences on others. It also simplifies the complex problem of widespread evil by identifying subjects who might be guilty of wrongdoing and making them “pay” for their negative actions (Zimbardo, 2004). Such egocentric bias is produced by the fundamental attribution error and needs to be overcome by developing an incremental perspective on evil in order to acknowledge the wide range of situational forces that can triumph over individual power in given contexts. Psychosocial variables are indeed often responsible for creating and maintaining various forms of extreme violence: from dehumanization, to deindividuation, and beyond, this paper aims at giving a general overview of how situational factors can influence individual behavior leading common people to behave in pathological ways that are alien to their nature.
In social psychology evil can be defined as the tendency to intentionally behave in ways that harm, abuse, demean, dehumanize, or destroy innocent others (Zimbardo, 2008). This behaviorally focused definition makes the individual mainly responsible for purposeful, motivated actions that have negative consequences on others. It also simplifies the complex problem of widespread evil by identifying subjects who might be guilty of wrongdoing and making them “pay” for their negative actions (Zimbardo, 2004). Such egocentric bias is produced by the fundamental attribution error and needs to be overcome by developing an incremental perspective on evil in order to acknowledge the wide range of situational forces that can triumph over individual power in given contexts. Psychosocial variables are indeed often responsible for creating and maintaining various forms of extreme violence: from dehumanization, to deindividuation, and beyond, this paper aims at giving a general overview of how situational factors can influence individual behavior leading common people to behave in pathological ways that are alien to their nature.
The Social Psychology of Violence: An Overview.
BALDI, MATILDE
2021/2022
Abstract
In social psychology evil can be defined as the tendency to intentionally behave in ways that harm, abuse, demean, dehumanize, or destroy innocent others (Zimbardo, 2008). This behaviorally focused definition makes the individual mainly responsible for purposeful, motivated actions that have negative consequences on others. It also simplifies the complex problem of widespread evil by identifying subjects who might be guilty of wrongdoing and making them “pay” for their negative actions (Zimbardo, 2004). Such egocentric bias is produced by the fundamental attribution error and needs to be overcome by developing an incremental perspective on evil in order to acknowledge the wide range of situational forces that can triumph over individual power in given contexts. Psychosocial variables are indeed often responsible for creating and maintaining various forms of extreme violence: from dehumanization, to deindividuation, and beyond, this paper aims at giving a general overview of how situational factors can influence individual behavior leading common people to behave in pathological ways that are alien to their nature.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/30219