Lewin’s pioneering work on social groups (which he published in 1936) was directed mainly towards the impact of individuals on group dynamics, and the ways in which a group responds to changes in their environment. In contrast, other social psychologists, such as Muzafer Sherif, and Solomon Asch (who were also working in this area), examined how the thoughts and behaviors of people within a group are influenced by their membership in that group. For example, they recognized that people may not act in a manner consistent with the general expectations of their group, because they do not share those expectations. These other researchers also noted that the beliefs and actions of a person can be altered by being part of a group. However, the focus of Lewin’s research was on the effect of what happens to the members of a group on how the group behaves. This is different from consent (voluntary agreement) and obedience (obedience to authority). In fact, the desire for conformity is often so strong that it overrides one’s own personal values and perceptions, leading people to do and even think about things that they know to be against their nature. Although this tendency can be a good thing in preserving group cohesion, Asch acknowledged that it can also be a dangerous force in society.
Mind and brain
In many cultures around this world, there is the view that humans have a soul that exists independently of the physical body. For Greek philosophers, the soul was also viewed as the seat of our reasoning abilities - what we would call our minds today. While Aristotle...
