Robert Cialdini

Richard Leonard Kuklinski was born in the Polish section of Jersey City, New Jersey. His mother, Anna McNally was a devout catholic and his father, Stanley Kuklinski, worked on the railroads. His father was an alcoholic who beat Richard regularly. Richard was one of four children and had an older brother who died from his parents abuse. Heather Mitchell and Michael Aamodt (2005) say that, “Childhood abuse has been given varying levels of blame in the development of serial killers. De Baker (1997) quoted Ressler’s research and stated that, ‘100 percent [of serial killers] has been abused as children; either which violence, neglect, or humiliation’ (p.55).’” (p. 40). Kuklinski began killing cats as a child. Research says “Violence is a pattern

Chris had never been fond of authority throughout his life and he had always been looking for a way to get out of it. “Chris thought it was a stupid rule and decided to ignore it. He did his lab reports, but not in the correct format, so the teacher gave him an F” (109). Clearly, even at a young age, Chris never liked having directions or rules given to him, because he believed that people should live by their own rules, not somebody else’s. He believed that people were not truly happy when they were living in ways that were set by society and that they were not completely true to themselves because of it. He also believed that people were just simply existing in this world and that they were not seeking out their entire potentials. Chris’s viewpoint lead him to despite his father; his

Another consistent theme is that of peer pressure and influence. Tracy, who is obviously seeking validation and acceptance, succumbs to these pressures time and time again. However, these pressures do nothing to alleviate the underlying issues at hand. This inability

Peer pressure can take place whenever people gather and spend frequent time together. Most people are subject to its effects and often experience it because of shared experiences or they share the same perspective on life. This becomes dangerous when a group has enough influence to dictate an individual’s way of thinking or behavior. When an individual is desperate to find a place to belong, they will follow the crowd even if they know that they are participating in something immoral; this is demonstrated in “We Real Cool.”

People do not always cave into peer pressure. If that is true, then when do we break? When do we give in and conform? According to Bibb Penis Latané’s social impact theory, it all depends on three specific factors: strength, how important the group is to you; immediacy, how close the group is to you in space and time; and the number of people in the group. The last factor operates differently than you might think however—the larger a group is, the less each additional person has an influence on others. Ever since starting the first fight club, Norton’s character has garnered such a reputation that he has gained a following. People start showing up on his doorstep,

Having to be exactly like their peers is the goal of many people. People may feel left out or forgotten if they do not participate in the common activities of others. Drugs, smoking, drinking, and partying are many extracurricular activities that many teens across the world participate in and struggle with. Peer pressure and the urge to want to be like others get the most of people. The common “good” kids often feel the need to participate in these activities so they feel a sense of acceptance. But this is not limited to only teens; even adults can “follow the crowd.” Whether it is buying the newest car or television, doing drugs, or dropping out of college, these activities can all come with disastrous consequences. Following the crowd can

Despite self-awareness, a person makes many decisions everyday, even if many are subtle. Getting out of bed, deciding what clothes to wear, and even the attitude you display to others. While there are many factors that contribute to these decision making, a major factor is who your peers are. Peers, whether they be a close friend, family member, or even a teacher, can influence what you aspire to do, and how you live your life. In The Other Wes Moore, peers’s play a big role shaping the lives and decisions of both Wes’s, further leading them to their places in the current world, just as peers have shaped my sister, Katie’s decisions as well. Friends heavily influence teenagers, attributing to teens’ stubbornness. By setting examples to follow, peers either set positive or negative standards that teens attempt to assimilate, gaining either positive or negative traits.

Serial Killers have been studied by psychologists, anthropologist and sociologists for years. In the following case study I will be talking about Robert Pickton. Robert Pickton is Canada’s most notorious serial killer, he was charged with 26 murder cases in 2006. I will analyze Roberts’s case with theories from psychology, sociology and anthropology. Psychology can tell us about Robert’s individual behaviour. Sociology can tell us about how the people and society around Robert affected him and Anthropology can tell us how his culture affected him.

Author David L. Ulin was born in New York in 1961. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. His level of completed education shows the high level of knowledge he has on the writing. Ulin is editor of three anthologies and author of nine successful published books. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, AGNI, Columbia Journalism Review, Zyzzyva, and the National Public Radio. Ulin’s work is highly credible which makes his article persuasive. In his most recent article “Why going to 7-Eleven has become a political act” Ulin states that 57% of chain stores are minority-run. He provides a specific source which helps him built more

Richard Louis Proenneke (1916-2003), called Dick, has become an icon of wild living in Lake Clark park and Preserve. Born in Iowa, he worked as a farmhand and rancher before joining the Navy the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

More than ever in this society as children find the need to belong or fit in to the popular crowd in school for acceptance they often tend to mimic their friends behaviors. This is often a result of the individual child trying to find him or herself. The results however, are not always negative. In fact, there are some positive results that may occur as a result of copying their peers. Simply stated, “When teens surround themselves with people who make good decisions and who are involved with positive activities and choices, it makes the adolescent child want to be better” (Stock, 2010 pg.2). Positive peers influence adolescents and can drive the child toward improved confidence, and improved grades in school. Inversely, the same can be said for the adolescent child who decides that he or she wants to be like his or her friends who have a negative influence. Children who fall into this category are those that are of the bandwagon philosophy. Those negatively impacted by peers often show signs of lower grades in school, increased distance from family. In fact, “peer pressure can lead to experimentation with drugs and alcohol, and various high risks behaviors” (Fact Sheets, 2009 pg.1). The changes in the adolescent child can have lasting effects depending on which type of peer influences that child may be surrounded by. The negative impact of peer pressure can be strong; however there are also positive influences.

In chapter eight we learned about social influences and a part I found appealing was the section on the power of social norms, which is the “unspoken but shared rules of conduct in a formal or informal group.” Basically, it means that the social world can impact our lives by peer pressuring us into acting out in a behavior that is out of our character. However, falling into that group norm would be a characteristic of conformity. An example would be someone that is peer pressured into taking drugs, but after time becomes adapted to that behavior and continues to

Leon Battista Alberti, born in the 15th Century originally from Genoa was educated at Padua and Bologna in classics, mathematics and Church canon law. He was a typical Humanist and his education also made him well-versed in philosophy, science and the arts. In 1421, he attended the University of Bologna where he studied law, which he did not enjoy. Later on, he obtained a degree in canon Law which then led to his mathematical studies. His book, Della Pittura published around the year 1430 were written to influence both artists and patrons through a combination of technical detail and philosophical discussion on Florentine art. This book is divided into 3 parts, the first relates to perspective and mathematics. The second and third parts

Giovanni Palestrina was an Italian composer who was born in Palestrina, near Rome. Giovanni was born on February 3, 1525 and died February 2, 1594. He studied with Robin Mallapert and Firmin Label. Giovanni went to school at St. Maria Maggiore. He spend most of his job in the city. Giovanni was influenced by the Northern European style of polyphony. He played organ for his church that he was deeply into.

McGonigal demonstrated how we are heavily influenced by our social peers and how our temptations can be effected by each other. She stated “Self-control is influenced by social proof, making both willpower and temptation contagious”(McGonigal 208). Being surrounded by my social peers who constantly spend on food and fun activities, it causes me to be more susceptible to these temptations. Sharing the same interest as my friends make it difficult for me as my peer’s choices have an effect on me as the feeling of being excluded occurs when I’m the only one skipping a midnight meal to save