Learning how to manipulate people
Recently social psychology received a lot of negative attention. People (in the Netherlands) started questioning the value of it , mainly due to the Dutch researcher Diederik Stapel; he did some naughty things with his data (read: he delibrately messed it up in order to get the results he wished to see). Because he was very into spending time at labs, this affects a ton of research. Whenever negative stuff like this happens it is always good to switch your own interest from your initial ones (Biological Psych) towards the recently affected ones (Health and Social Psych). And that is exactly what I did; I’m world champion in good timing.
Luckily it turned out surprisingly more interesting than I could ever have imagined. I’m now following two courses which are both very much to my liking. the first one is called ‘manipulation’ and it teaches you the psychological principles of influencing people. We appear to be more simple than we think we are. It is very easy to trick people into doing whatever you want them to do. We consider ourselves to be very objective, but what objectivity can be found in the fact that you like people more when they merely share the same birthday as you? The literature tells you so many sneaky cheap blows below the belt to trick people into buying whatever you have to sell. It’s just up to the moral standards of those who know the techniques to see what they are gonna talk you into next. Thank god mankind has proven itself to be über moral (oh wait..?)
The second course is called ‘bad habits’, something that might even intrigue me more than manipulation. I always wondered why people do stuff they know they will (or at least should) regret later. Of course that includes my own hypocritical actions as well. I know drinking a lot is not very good for you, but i occasionally end up drinking 1or 12 too many. I now learn why myself and others indulge in less healthy/safe behavior. This actually makes it worse to know why I mess up, cause that means I am not using my brain until the extend I should be.
I look forward to basically everything that is coming my way in my masters now. It teaches me more and more about my wicked self. You gotta love psychology..
p.s.: if you want some tips on literature, because of your sheer interest (or a lack of a social life), let me know.
Joep van Agteren
I was born and raised in a town called Geleen, sited between the hills of the Dutch province of Limburg. I'm a 25 year old Psychology Master student and a member of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). I will enjoy shedding my critical light on life itself and share it with you while I am at it.