Speech Comm

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

She walks in, sunglasses on, carrying a large bottle of water. She's faintly green and speaks quietly...


Ok, gang. The unit for this week is obedience. we're going to hammer out the why's and how's of obedience to authority, and how that behavior relates to trust and influence...and respect. *Looks at O'Neill and Harkness*

Why do you obey? Some of you obey better than others. Why do you defer your personal power? Is it to gain something? If so, that is, as Elizabeth explained so well week before last, hegemony. *Writes HEGEMONY on the board* This is when you do something that decreases your personal power in order to gain something, in either the short or long run.

Ok, so obedience to authority. Everybody stand up and push the desks out of the way. Quietly please.

*Watches as they do it (or at least some of them*

Good. Now question yourself...why did you just do what I told you? Why were you obedient? Is it because I'm the teacher? Is it because I'm older? Is it because you've been conditioned...*writes CONDITIONED on the board* to comply with a simple request?

You cna put the desks back if you want to sit down. I'd like to get a discussion going regarding your perceptions of obedience. Ok, go.

Comments

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Well... there was a famous experiment (bottom of page) (http://www.23nlpeople.com/Psychology_Experiments.htm) on obediance, which is sort of like a really sick version of what you did with the desks. The students in that experiment were frightened? cowed? conditioned? to obey their instructor, no matter what, to the point where they were delivering "fatal" electric shocks to another person.

That kind of explains war, in a weird way. Something that most people wouldn't do, namely, kill someone, is done because you obey the authority of someone in charge. You assume that they have an excellent reason for ordering you to do something, and that their understanding outstrips your own.

*pauses, blinks* Sorry, kinda rambled there.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

That experiment s an excellent eample, Chip. I'm glad to see you've been reading the textbook.
((ooc: cuz it's actually in the Cialdini book I mention))

So is it trust? Respect? Fear? I want to get to the root of this so we can dissect the way we communicate...

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Different things in different situations. Like last week, I drank the mystery juice because I trusted you to tell me the truth -- which, considering that two days before you'd been patching me up after zombie-fighting, I figured was a good choice.

If Principal Connor had told me it was safe to drink it, I wouldn't have. If she'd *ordered* me to, I would, because she scares the crap outta me. If Professor Drusilla had ordered me, I wouldn't have, but if she'd *threatened* me, I probably would, because she scares more than the crap out of me.

So, different professors, same situation. It doesn't depend on their level of authority so much as my perception of their level of likelihood-of-kicking-my-ass.

[OOC: Good, because I couldn't figure how to justify Jack knowing it...*g*]

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

So are you saying you obey me because you trust me...because I'm easy? Not frightening? As opposed to others you do not trust, but rather fear? Hmmm...

Who benefits, Jack? From fear or trust or obedience or compliance, as Rory pointed out? Who benefits?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

I never said you were easy. I think you're... trustworthy, in the literal sense. I think you have integrity.

So, in the final analysis, I think you benefit. You would get me to do something with only a request, whereas Principal Connor would have to request and then order, and Prof. Drusilla would have to request, order, then threaten. In a tight situation, you'd get results from me faster than they would.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Don't you see how you would benefit as well?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Well, if my judgement is right in trusting you, then I benefit. But obediance isn't an exchange among equals. If my judgement is wrong, I lose and you win.

Although I'd point out that it is not a necessity for me to be the subordinate in every case. You did the Macarena last week for no other reason than I asked you, AND answered questions about your sexual life for Anya that you really didn't want to, because by giving us a certain, limited amount of control over you, you made yourself subordinate to us.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

*Blushes at the reminder*

So how to you factor in that reciprocity...and how do YOU differentiate between obedience and complience? Let's get me out of the picture, Chip...let's use the government as an example. Why is one obedient to the social fabric?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

*sits, thinks*

*crosses his arms across his chest and grins*

No. Don't wanna answer any more.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

*Smiles at him, she looks...almost proud*

Beautifully played, Chip. Thanks for proving my point.

Next?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

*is confused because he lost something in the translation, but shrugs and smiles*

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

_{[ooc: Loves these two. They crack me up.]}