The Behavior of Cult Leaders and Members Explained by using Psychologic

This essay forget examine and describe the expression of cult leaders and cult members by using and applying psychological principles. I will specifically highlight the behavior of Jim Jones and his followers and explain what factors that caused them to believe wholeheartedly in the doctrine of Jim Jones. I will also explain what psychological tactics were used to learn his believers to be participants in mass suicide and the psychological factors that contributed to the belief that this was their b arly option. What is a cult? According to (Pratkanis & Aronson, 2001,p.307) the term cult is used to exposit to describe a pattern of social relations within a group and that cults can be centered on a target of issues, including race, politics, therapy, self-help as well as spirituality and religion. Another distinctive feature article of cults or new spiritual moments are that they have distinctive religious rituals and beliefs related to its god or a person, they also practi ce closing off from the surrounding culture and have a charismatic leader (Myers, 2011, p.197). Cults are by no means new phenomena they have been around since forwards the beginning of written history. Some of the earliest cults were recorded by the past Mesopotamian, Greek and Egyptian civilizations. There were also early Christian cults, much(prenominal) as the Essenes and the Gnostics. There are also the examples of modern cults, such as The Children of God, Heavens Gate and the Branch Davidians. In addition to cults, there are also modern new age faces and movements. These groups tread a fine line between being an authentic religious organization and have some of the same characteristics of being a cult. In these types of organizations it is a great deal di... ...al psychological principals for his own purposes. I firmly believe that in the precise end Jones used the power of informational social influence to gain faithfulness and conformity. This was the deci sive factor that caused his followers to drink the cyanide laced Kool- aide-de-camp and commit what Jones called a revolutionary suicide. Works CitedThe Ford Foundation. (96-10). PBS,The American arrive . Jonestown the Life and Death of Peoples Temple. Retrieved 4/6/2012, from http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/jonestown-california/.Myers, D. G. (2002). Exploring psychology (5th ed.). New York, NY expenseMyers, D. G. (2012). Exploring social psychology (6th ed.). New York, NY McGraw-Hill.Pratkanis, A. (2002). Age of propaganda the everyday use and disgust of persuasion. New York W.H. Freeman.