eneral

sychology

Give the procedure and results of Festinger et al.'s study about Mrs. Keech and the Guardians.

A participant observation study by Festinger, Reicken, & Schachter (1956) provides an interesting example of social proof. These scientists joined a doomsday group led by a Mrs. Keech and a Dr. Armstrong (the names are fictitious). Mrs. Keech received messages from spiritual beings on other planets called the Guardians. The Guardians made messages flow through Mrs. Keech's hand by "automatic writing." These writings formed the bulk of the cult's religious belief system. A small but devoted group of followers eventually built up around Keech and Armstrong.

One day the Guardians sent a message foretelling a great flood that would encompass the Earth. Although the cult members were upset at first, additional messages indicated that those who believed in the Lessons sent via Mrs. Keech would survive. Spacemen would arrive just before the hour of the calamity and take the true believers to safety on another planet.

The commitment of group members ran high in the weeks preceding the flood. Group members prepared for the rescue by removing all metal from their clothes and learning special phrases (e.g, I am my own porter). The cult hung together even though this often meant the loss of affection from friends and relatives.

A second interesting aspect of the groups pre-flood behavior is that there were few attempts to spread the word to other people. In fact, the group often avoided publicity. Thus, prior to the flood the cult was sure of their beliefs and made meager efforts to convince society of the coming disaster.

The group waited together on the day of doom for the spacemen to rescue them at midnight. When midnight passed a sad quiet fell on the cult. How would the group respond to such a tragic disconfirmation?

At 4:30 A.M. Mrs. Keech received another message from the Guardians. Because the little group had believed, the world had been saved from destruction. Although this explained the failure of the spacemen to rescue them, it did not satisfy all cult members. Mrs. Keech then received another message instructing her to publicize the explanation.

Now the groups long-standing policy of secrecy and avoiding publicity changed dramatically. The cult now exerted great efforts to gain new converts, and tell anyone who would listen why the world was not destroyed. But why the sudden shift from secret conspirators to zealous missionaries?

Let's imagine that you are a group member before doomsday. You are sure that the spacemen are coming so you do not care what other people think. You are secure in your beliefs. Now doomsday has passed and no spaceship. Physical reality tells you that you have made a terrible and foolish mistake. Now you are uncertain about the course that you have taken. Can you accept that you have lost your friends, your lover, and your job because you believed that creatures from outer space were communicating with a middle-aged woman? Most group members could not. When physical reality turned its back on the cult, the group pursued a social reality. Why try to get other people to believe in the Guardians? Because if other people believe in the Guardians that reduces your own uncertainty.
 
 

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