Premium
Debating the psychology of tyranny: Fundamental issues of theory, perspective and science
Author(s) -
Haslam S. Alexander,
Reicher Stephen
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1348/014466605x80686
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , psychology , social psychology , epistemology , computer science , philosophy , artificial intelligence
In our rejoinder, we concentrate on responding to Zimbardo's criticisms. These criticisms involve three broad strategies. The first is to turn broad discussion about the psychology of tyranny into narrow questions about the replication of prison conditions. The second is to confuse our scientific analysis with the television programmes of ‘The Experiment’. The third is to make unsupported and unwarranted attacks on our integrity. All three lines of attack are flawed and distract from the important theoretical challenge of understanding when people act to reproduce social inequalities and when they act to challenge them. This is the challenge that Turner identifies and engages with in his commentary.