How to resist destructive cults from a social psychologist perspective
Your city has been alarmed about the arrival of a cult that requires the destructive obedience of its members. There has been some speculation that this cult could produce a Jonestown-style tragedy. Because of your expertise in social psychology, you have been asked to “inoculate” the citizens of your city against the influence of such cults.
How can the influence of a destructive cult be resisted? Describe as many techniques as you can to minimize compliance with the demands of a destructive cult. Support your arguments with reference to principles discussed in Chapter 8 of Branscombe and Baron and the readings by Asch, Milgram, and Osherow in Readings About the Social Animal and Haney et al. in your Selected Readings. Of course, you are free to refer to other readings as well, but remember—your objective is to demonstrate your understanding of the techniques of social influence.
