Question the Herd | Brain Games

National Geographic

24 Feb 201503:11

Summary

TLDRThis video features a social experiment on the USS Intrepid where participants must identify which of three lines matches a reference line. However, most of the group is secretly instructed to choose the wrong answer, leading the final participant to face peer pressure. The experiment demonstrates how people often conform to group consensus, even when they believe it's wrong. It explores the psychological and evolutionary reasons behind this behavior, highlighting how the brain's 'error signal' compels individuals to align with the majority to avoid standing out or being wrong.

Takeaways

🔎 The experiment is set on the USS Intrepid, where participants must match the length of a card to one of three lines.
🤔 The participants face peer pressure, as they are influenced by others' choices in the group.
🧠 The majority of people in the group purposely choose the wrong answer (A) as part of the experiment.
🎯 The correct answer is C, though most people chose A due to group pressure.
😬 Some participants admit their gut told them C, but they switched to A to conform with the group.
🚶‍♂️ A few participants resisted group pressure and stuck with their original answer, choosing C.
🙈 The experiment highlights how peer pressure can lead people to ignore their own judgment.
🧪 The script questions how this behavior would translate in a more serious situation, like a murder case.
🧠 The 'oops area' of the brain generates an error signal when someone holds a different opinion from the group, causing discomfort.
🐑 The evolutionary advantage of conforming to the group is linked to survival, which can explain why people tend to follow the crowd.

Q & A

What is the setting of the experiment described in the script?
-The experiment takes place on the deck of the USS Intrepid.
What is the main task participants are asked to complete in the experiment?
-Participants are asked to decide which one of three straight lines is the same length as a line shown on a first card.
What did the majority of participants choose as their answer, and why is this significant?
-The majority of participants chose 'A,' and this is significant because they were influenced by the group consensus, which was intentionally incorrect.
What is the actual correct answer to the line length comparison task?
-The correct answer is 'C.'
How were the first nine participants in the experiment instructed to behave, and why?
-The first nine participants were instructed to pick the same wrong answer, 'A,' to create a scenario where the last participant would feel peer pressure to conform.
What psychological phenomenon does this experiment aim to demonstrate?
-The experiment aims to demonstrate the influence of peer pressure and the tendency to conform to group consensus, even when it is clearly incorrect.
What brain region is activated when someone holds a different opinion than the group, according to the script?
-The interior cingulate cortex, also known as the 'oops area,' is activated.
What evolutionary advantage is associated with following the group, as mentioned in the script?
-Following the group is associated with survival, as staying with the herd can keep an individual safe.
How did some participants react to the group consensus despite their own judgment?
-Some participants questioned their own judgment and chose to go with the group's answer to avoid standing out or feeling like the 'dumb kid.'
What is the main lesson or takeaway from this experiment?
-The main takeaway is that people often ignore their own correct judgments to fit in with a group, highlighting the strong influence of social conformity.

Outlines

00:00

🚢 Introduction to the Experiment on the USS Intrepid

The scene is set on the USS Intrepid where an experiment is being conducted. The task is simple: participants must choose which of three lines matches the length of a reference card. Before revealing the answer, viewers are shown the choices made by a group of people, all of whom picked line 'A'. The participants are now faced with a decision—go with their own judgment or follow the majority.

🤔 Revealing the Correct Answer and the Power of Group Influence

The correct answer is revealed to be 'C', but many viewers may have been swayed by the group's incorrect choice of 'A'. The script acknowledges that viewers may have felt peer pressure to conform. A participant explains how their gut feeling was to choose 'C', but seeing others choose 'A' made them change their answer.

👥 The Crowd's Influence: A Closer Look at Group Psychology

It’s revealed that the first nine people in the line were part of the experiment, intentionally picking the wrong answer to create group pressure. This left the final participant, who was unaware of the setup, in a dilemma—stick with their instincts or follow the group. Some participants resisted the pressure, trusting their own judgment over the group's.

😬 Facing the Choice to Stand Out or Conform

Some participants admitted to choosing the wrong answer 'A' even though they knew 'C' was correct. One explains their fear of standing out or being wrong in front of others, highlighting how group influence can cause people to question their own judgment to avoid appearing different or incorrect.

🧠 The Science Behind Peer Pressure: Why We Follow the Crowd

The script delves into the neurological explanation of why people conform. When a person holds a different opinion from the group, the brain’s 'oops' area (the anterior cingulate cortex) sends out an error signal, prompting them to align with the majority to correct the perceived mistake. This behavior is rooted in evolutionary survival mechanisms, where staying with the group was often necessary for safety.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Peer Pressure

Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a group to encourage an individual to change their beliefs or behaviors to conform to the group's standards. In the video, participants felt pressured to choose the same incorrect answer as others, even when their instincts told them otherwise. This concept is central to the video’s theme of how individuals may abandon their own judgment in favor of group consensus.

💡Group Consensus

Group consensus occurs when the majority of a group agrees on a certain opinion or decision. In the video, the majority of participants in the experiment chose the wrong answer, influencing the last person to conform. The video highlights how consensus can sometimes be misleading and may lead individuals to question their own judgment, even when they know the truth.

💡Conformity

Conformity is the act of aligning one's beliefs, behaviors, or decisions with those of a group, often to fit in or avoid conflict. The video demonstrates conformity by showing how individuals, despite knowing the correct answer, choose to align with the group’s incorrect choice to avoid standing out.

💡Instinct vs Groupthink

Instinct refers to an individual's natural or gut feeling, while groupthink is the tendency for a group to prioritize harmony and unanimity over individual critical thinking. In the video, participants initially identify the correct answer based on their instinct, but some change their answers due to the overwhelming consensus of the group, showcasing the conflict between following personal judgment and groupthink.

💡Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort experienced when a person holds two conflicting beliefs or behaviors. In the video, participants who believed the answer was 'C' but went along with 'A' because of the group experienced cognitive dissonance as their internal judgment conflicted with their external choice.

💡Evolutionary Advantage

The video mentions evolutionary advantage, suggesting that there are survival benefits to following the group. In earlier human societies, following the majority increased chances of safety and survival. The video connects this concept to how people today may conform to group opinions even when they disagree, illustrating the deep-rooted nature of this behavior.

💡Singulate Cortex

The singulate cortex, also called the 'oops area' of the brain, is activated when an individual makes an error or feels uncertain about their decision. In the video, it is explained that when someone disagrees with a group, this brain region produces an error signal, leading them to correct their behavior by conforming to the group’s opinion, even if they believe it’s wrong.

💡Social Experiment

A social experiment is a test conducted to observe people's behavior in certain social situations. The video is centered around such an experiment where participants are asked to choose the line that matches in length, but the majority is purposely giving the wrong answer to see if the last participant will conform or stick to their judgment.

💡Wisdom of the Crowd

The 'wisdom of the crowd' refers to the idea that a large group’s collective opinion is often more accurate than an individual’s. However, the video challenges this notion by showing how, in some cases, the crowd can be wrong, and individuals might follow the group despite knowing the correct answer.

💡Judgment

Judgment refers to the ability to make considered decisions or form sensible conclusions. In the video, participants must rely on their own judgment to pick the correct line. The experiment tests whether they will trust their own judgment or follow the crowd, highlighting how social dynamics can impact individual decision-making.

Highlights

An experiment is conducted on the deck of the USS Intrepid, where participants must determine which of three straight lines is the same length as the first card.

The task appears simple, but viewers are prompted to observe how others respond before making their own choice.

All the individuals before the final test subject choose the wrong answer, creating peer pressure for the final person to follow the crowd.

Despite the peer pressure, some participants trust their instincts and go with their original answer.

One test subject admits to feeling pressure to conform, even though they initially believed a different answer was correct.

The experiment demonstrates the influence of social pressure and groupthink, where participants may ignore their own judgment to fit in with the group.

In the experiment, the correct answer is 'C', but the group deliberately chooses 'A' to test the final participant's response.

One participant confesses that although they initially thought the correct answer was 'C', they changed their response to 'A' because they didn't want to stand out.

The narrator highlights how this behavior reflects a broader phenomenon, where people often ignore the truth to conform with the group.

Participants describe how they question their own judgment when faced with overwhelming consensus from the group.

The experiment reveals how social conformity can lead individuals to doubt their own instincts, even when they know the group is wrong.

A neuroscientific explanation is provided: when someone disagrees with the group, the brain's 'error' signal is triggered, leading to discomfort.

This 'error' signal in the brain prompts people to align their views with the group, despite discomfort or knowledge that the group is wrong.

The narrator explains the evolutionary benefits of conformity, suggesting that following the group increases chances of survival.

The experiment invites viewers to consider how group pressure might affect their judgment in more serious situations, such as a murder case.