Psychological Theories which Impact on Service Provision in Residential Care

1. Psychological Theories which Impact on Service Provision in Residential Care Milgram (& Hoffling) - Obedience Asch – Conformity Seligman – Learned Helplessness Festinger – Attitude Change Goffman – Institutionalisation Zimbardo - Deindividuation

2. Milgram - Obedience • Milgram performed an experiment to see whether people obey others. • He told people to administer life-threatening electric shocks to another person, simply because a man in a white coat told them to. • He thought that only 1 tenth of 1% would administer the shocks, but found that over 50% did! • Who might obey in residential care? Click here to see Derren Brown re-creating the experiment. Does Obedience explain the gas chambers at Auswich.?

3. Asch - Conformity Asche performed experiments to see whether people would conform to the group norm, even though they knew what they were saying was wrong. He found that in most cases people did conform. Who might conform in residential care? Click here to see the experiment Haut de la Garenne in St Martin

4. Seligman – Learned Helplessness • If people don’t feel they have any control or power they tend to ‘give up’ and feel depressed. • They even stop doing things they are capable of and start relying on others to do things for them • When might learned helplessness happen in residential care? “Nurse, would you pass me my water?”

5. Festinger – Attitude Change • By now you should know the theory of Cognitive Dissonance, click here if you don’t! • When might cognitive dissonance happen in residential care? I don’t agree with this treatment “Give the patient this treatment”

6. Goffman – Institutionalisation Read AP08 & AP10 Broadly speaking, Institutionalisation occurs when people sleep, play and work within the confines of an institution. Even if they don’t at first like the institution, they come to RELY on the rules and regulations until in the end they are afraid to leave. They are completely institutionalised.

7. Quote from ‘The ShawShank Redemption’ by Stephen King: • RED: Heywood, enough. Ain't nothing wrong with Brooksie. He's just institutionalized, that's all. • HEYWOOD: Institutionalized, my ass. • RED: Man's been here fifty years. This place is all he knows. In here, he's an important man, an educated man. A librarian. Out there, he's nothing but a used-up old con with arthritis in both hands. Couldn't even get a library card if he applied. You see what I'm saying? • FLOYD: Red, I do believe you're talking out of your ass. • RED: Believe what you want. These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. After long enough, you get so you depend on 'em. That's "institutionalized." • JIGGER: Shit. I could never get that way. • ERNIE: Say that when you been inside as long as Brooks has.

8. Zimbardo - Deindividuation • Read AP12 • Deindividuation is a theory of ‘devolved responsibility’. This means that people don’t take full responsibility for their actions. • It is usually happens when people are dressed the same (eg in uniform). • It usually explains negative behaviour, eg police brutality, but can also explain caring behaviours, eg when medical staff put their uniform and put their ‘caring head’ on. • When might deindividuation happen in residential care, both positively and negatively? An example of police brutality