Monday, February 20, 2012

The Psychology of Hazing

Paddle to the back side - a classic hazing strategy
Would you join a new club if you knew it meant you had to sing an embarrassing song in public, do someone else’s laundry for them, or make prank phone calls? What if joining the club meant that you had to lay still as someone poured boiling water over you, drink alcohol until you threw up, eat dog food, have your physical flaws marked with red pen, or go on an elephant walk? I imagine most of us are strongly shaking our heads “no” as we read this second list of horrors. Yet each year people knowingly join Greek houses, sports teams, the military and other groups in which hazing new members is a long held tradition. As long ago as 1684, students were getting expelled for hazing, and many laws have been put into place to eradicate the practice, yet to this day we continue to see news coverage of horrific hazing rituals gone bad. Why can’t we get rid of hazing?

Below are a few of the psychological principals that might help us understand why hazing is that pest that just won’t go away:

Hazing practices are a tightly guarded secret and not every group engages in them. Not all groups engage in hazing practices, and for those that do, many of the practices fall into the fairly harmless category, such as having to be on call to do someone’s laundry for a month. The secrecy surrounding hazing and the variability in the extent to which groups practice hazing make it difficult for people to swear off joining any group that might take part in hazing.

“It won’t happen to me.” One reason why people might join a group that is rumored to have hazing rituals is because they suffer from the “illusion of control.” People tend to believe they have more control over their outcomes than they really do. Although we know that other people get involved in hazing and end up getting hurt, we, of course, would never let ourselves get into a situation like that. 

Joining the group is a “foot in the door.” Once a group has gotten us to express interest and say we'll join, our need for consistency keeps us saying ‘yes’ at each additional small step. If I joined, why wouldn’t I be willing to come live with the group for a week? If I am okay to live with the group for a week, why wouldn’t I be okay to do their chores all week?

It’s a slippery slope. The “foot in the door” technique may also help explain why hazing practices become so extreme. What may start out as a fairly harmless initiation rite can begin to move towards extremity in small steps. It’s not likely that a group in one week will start out having their pledges do their laundry, and then jump straight to having them eat wet biscuits, but you can imagine the progression from one pledge class to the next as each hazing ritual gets a tiny bit more extreme. By moving in such small steps, the line between okay and not okay quickly gets blurred. 

By the time we get hazed, our efforts are a sunk cost. Even when we realize that we may find ourselves in the midst of hazing rituals, we may not step away because giving up at this point may feel like a sunk cost. We’ve already put in effort that we cannot get back, so isn’t it better to keep going than to feel like it was all for nothing?

“It was worth it.” After going through the hazing, how do we justify the experience we put ourselves through? By telling ourselves it was worth it, and liking the group all the more for having had to work hard to join it. This “justification of effort” effect has been shown in psychological studies. Researchers find that people who go through a good deal of trouble to attain something value it more than people who attained the same thing with minimal effort.

Hazing creates cohesiveness.  How would you feel towards the people with whom you had to spend the night locked in the trunk of a car, share your deepest secrets, or hold hands as you downed cup after cup of alcohol? The pledges who go through hazing together are likely to feel an instant sense of kinship and closeness with each other, and after making to the other side of hazing, with the group as a whole. These types of practices may also create an “us” versus “them” atmosphere in which members of the group feel like it’s them against the world, particularly when they know the world won’t understand what they just put themselves through.

The need to give back. After surviving a hazing ritual and getting to the other side, group members may find themselves fervent supporters of the hazing traditions. They may continue to justify their own hazing experiences by believing that the hazing is necessary to help new recruits feel like part of the group. They may also believe that their group is so great that people should have to work to get into it. And more simply, there is the principal of fairness – I had to do it, so you should too.

Hazing and initiation rituals occur the world over, and efforts to eradicate horrible hazing accidents don't seem to be effective. Perhaps we have the wrong approach, and its time to look into ways to make initiation rituals safer rather than try to eliminate them all together?

Do you think we can effectively eradicate hazing? Do you have suggestions for ways to make it safer? Any other psychological principals behind hazing that you think we should highlight?

Further reading:
Aronson, E., & Mills, J. (1959). The effect of severity of initiation on liking for a group. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 59 (2), 177-181 DOI: 10.1037/h0047195
Campo S, Poulos G, & Sipple JW (2005). Prevalence and profiling: hazing among college students and points of intervention. American journal of health behavior, 29 (2), 137-49 PMID: 15698981

19 comments:

  1. I personally don't find anything wrong with hazing. I joined the military and went into the infantry. Nobody is hazed as much as a new paratrooper. I came out fine but i do understand where some people are coming from when it comes to hazing. Some people don't have the metal toughness to with stand ha-zings stressful times. To someone who lets stress get to them easily they might start developing a weaker immune system, stop eating, stop interacting socially with others because the stress is to much for a person to bear.

    Hazing is one of those things that will never go away. It will be around forever. So instead of trying to ban this action why dont we try to regulate it with what is thought of as ok to do..

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    1. Anonymous - I think we are in agreement that initiation rituals are something that may never go away since they seem to serve an important purpose in groups (creating cohesiveness amongst group members, increasing loyalty and liking for the group). I agree that its important to look into ways to regulate these practices and effectively make initiation rituals safe for groups.

      In terms of your belief that there is nothing wrong with hazing since you went through it and came out fine - you hit on another important reason behind hazing - people who have gone through hazing endorse it is because they didn't get hurt, its the "it didn't happen to me" counterpart to "it can't happen to me." Some people may be better fit to withstand hazing than others, but certain hazing rituals (being beaten or forced to drink alcohol) have led to serious injury and death, and I don't think withstanding those types of hazing experiences is just a matter of "mental toughness."

      Thanks for reading!
      Amie

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    2. Did you guys not read the article? Because that's what was written.

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    3. Seems that the people who are willing to endure or conduct hazing have such a deep seated fear that they will be outsiders, alone, and not accepted in the group, that they prefer abuse to aloneness. Seems like they are all like abused spouses who want to be married more than they want to be safe...

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    4. exactly right...they are actually the more compliant and needy of the group...those who refuse the hazing and walk away from the group are actually the more right thinking and capable people and the people who would actually end up serving that group..or any group they become a part of better than those needy enough to stay

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  2. This is going to be a can of worms but am going to do it anyway....

    I attended North Georgia Military College and witnessed the most extreme hazing I have ever even heard of during that time. The examples cited in your article do not even come close to what I know individuals did to others to allow them the privilege of joining their fraternities.

    At North Georgia at that time there were only 3 fraternities, as well as the 'elite' ROTC organization known as the Scabbard & Blade. I was not asked to join the S&B so do not have any firsthand experience with their rituals, but did have 2 acquaintances who were initiated, and both broke their words to talk about the initiation only to say it was much worse than the fraternities' hazing rituals known as "puke parties", so that speaks for itself.

    To join either of two of the fraternities, Sigma Theta or REX, pledges were required to attend the "puke parties" every night during pledge week, where they were subjected to the most degrading situations any of them had imagined to date. It gets nasty here, so be warned.

    During these gatherings the pledges were usually naked or in underwear, and were often fed mixed alcoholic concoctions limited by only the imaginations of the most perverted frat members. Vomiting continually was normal, thus the name. Pledges were forced to eat the most disgusting things imaginable, including but not limited to hotdogs that had been carried in another pledges rectum while duck walking an obstacle course. Enough examples.

    Pledges were beaten and defiled in ways later (or before) mimicked probably at prison camps and detention centers. Your article cites relevant reasons people allow such truly debasing actions to be taken against them, but it barely addresses the true reasons people will find it not just acceptable, but enjoyable, to inflict such degrading humiliating behavior on others. Herein lies the issue. As in experiments where 'normal' people will anonymously deliver more and more powerful shocks to subjects for various reasons, people will inflict more and more pain, humiliation and most any horror on other human beings when left to their own ethical and moral foundations. Perhaps it speaks more to our moral center than outside factors - I am no expert.

    Situations such as that at North Georgia College & University, as it is now known, need to be investigated before someone dies there. I guess if the individuals joining such fraternities (and sororities, certainly) are willing to trade their self-respect for membership into an organization that celebrates such abuse, they have found their home. On the other hand, do we require the acceptance of absolutely any behavior toward us to gain admission and therefore convince ourselves of worthiness? The end would seem to justify the appearance of the means to some. Perhaps not to those who are truly accepting of who they are.
    DThompson
    Geneva

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  3. You have to have something fundamentally wrong with you to allow this. Normal, functional people would never let anyone abuse them this way. These people come from dysfunctional homes, aren't very smart, and don't have a lot of self worth. Notice how you never find noble prize winners or anyone really successful who was in this type of organization.

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    1. Another important point about the Milgram experiments I described in response to DThompson's comment is that people grossly underestimate their own and others' behaviors during these types of situations. When asked to imagine themselves in that situation, people estimate that many fewer participants will deliver high level shocks than actually do.

      I think something similar occurs with hazing - its easy when you're on the outside to say "I'd never do that," when you imagine letting yourself get hazed. But when you finally get to the moment of hazing there are a lot of things going on that can lead the person who "would never do that" to do just that. You are isolated from the outside world, being forced by an authority figure, knowing it will be over soon, not wanting to appear weak in front of other people, wanting to join the group, thinking others made it through so it can't be that bad.

      How you think you might act in that moment, and how you actually would act, may be two very different things indeed.

      Also, I am not at all sure that noble prize winners or other successful people haven't been part of these types of groups. Do you have any evidence of that? Because I would, in fact, have made an opposite assumption - that many successful people were in fact in societies and groups that involve hazing. Whether its a collegiate athletic team, the military or a secret society, I tend to think many of these types of groups generate very successful people (but this is also just an assumption on my part since I don't know which groups actually haze).

      Thanks for reading!
      Amie

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  4. Sounds like hazing easily degenerates into bullying, and it's all about humiliation. The funny thing is that those who are hazed are willing participants. It's the ultimate form of self betrayal. Why would any one allow such outrageous assaults on the self? Amie's post sheds some light. I believe it's mostly to do with one's low self esteem. Individuals who have little esteem , or respect for the self, are vulnerable to being manipulated. Individuals whose authority is outside of the self naturally gravitate toward a group with perceived influence, and are willing to demonstrate "loyalty" in a show of surrender/absurd obedience in order to "belong". Since initiation rites are usually kept secret, I can imagine a novice finding out at the last minute the awful requirements, and feel "trapped". If they still have their wits about them, they'll consider saying no. But, that comes at the expense of their "investments", and the fear of shaming for "chickening out" of a hazing. So , they'll stay in order to avoid the humiliation of "defeat". "It's not that bad," they'll tell themselves. But, in order to "win", the initiates might have to suffer through unspeakable acts of humiliation, for which they'll want to keep silent for fear of being found out that they have been so humiliated. Really, what a twisted mind trip! Victims of hazing must feel so ashamed that they won't want to utter a word about the experience, therefore the secrecy. The entire group bonds via shame. Hazing exacts allegiance through a kind of emotional blackmail.

    What to do about it? I believe the most effective antidote is awareness. Turn the light on to what feels dark and scary. The more information available to the public, the less potent the sense of shame. In the process, regulate hazing practice with safety in mind.

    Thanks for the illumination!

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    1. Great points! Awareness may be one of the keys to regulating hazing, but I don't think simply telling the public about what goes on during hazing is enough - people have done that for years and hazing continues.

      I think that a new approach would be to make the members within groups aware of the psychological influences that lead them to extreme hazing. The way to combat hazing is going to be to change the people in power (the current group members), and get them to put rules in place that prevent initiation rituals from getting out of control.

      Thanks for the comments!
      Amie

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  5. Amie: First I love your article and think you hit on very good points! And loved that your ending was asking for input, showing you not only did not think you got it ALL but that you are open minded. The main thing I do is teach my son how to spot these signs but Mainly options to do some thing. He does have the advantage of having a Dad who dealt with that "group" mentality in spades. So I'm able to know of what I speak. I was 13 when I got locked away into a h*ll hole program called Straight Inc. in Cincinnati OH ( plenty of info on web to get more info). It was a supposed drug rehab to "help" kids but because it used very dangerous tactics to start with and since it was staffed by Only rehab graduates and NO lic. Professionals things got bad quick. Torture is something few can understand, unfortunately I am not one. But I do use that to prepare my son to those pitfalls and that doing what is right is normally the Hardest option, but one that he will be glad he did. Don't fool yourself in buying into that "if u quit your week" BS! It's the one who stands up to the Majority who is truly brave and strong!!!!

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    1. Thanks David! I definitely think that there are many forces at work that lead to hazing, both internal and external. I'm sorry to hear you had to go through an experience like that yourself, but am glad you are using it to teach the next generation how to protect themselves against "group" mentality.

      Best,
      Amie

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  6. I really like this article. I will say that I have heard of hazing, and the effects, but only in movies and people's experiences. After reading most of these comments though, I can see that it's actually as bad as people say.

    I do not think hazing is okay, at least to the extreme people take it. And yeah, it probably won't stop just like anything in the world, but we should definintly raise awareness! Like anonymous said up there! I think its another one of those problems that are underrated.

    To the one farther up saying some people can't take the stress, I acutally agree with you there. Obviously, everyone is different. Depending on how you were raised, environment, etc. will influence how you handle such horrible rituals. People cope with stress in different ways, and that comes into play when hazing happens.

    I personally don't like the idea of it. I see nothing wrong with a little initiation, but beating people? puking parties? Naa, I don't see why it would be worth all of that trouble. To conform? To be "part of the group?"
    Hell , no.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Becky. I definitely think that hazing and and initiation rites occur on a spectrum from fairly harmless to extremely dangerous. That's where I think the slippery slope comes in, and it can become difficult to draw the line between what is okay and what is not. Somehow a night of drinking turns into a puking party over the years. I hope that by making people aware of the psychology at play, they can recognize these things as they are happening, and make different choices.

      Best,
      Amie

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  7. Nicely written article, Amie! Alas, I don't think that hazing can effectively be eradicated, ever. I agree it's a type of initiation ritual gone wrong; humans have formed group and societies for a very long time, and having a sense of belonging to the greater part makes for a more solid group. This article also pretty enlightening for me who had never fitted in through the weirder initialization rituals I had to go through during school (I avoid almost all activities whose function people fail to explain to me and I perceived as irrational). I think it would be interesting to do a research to see whether people who placed certain values as important to them seem to accept initialization rituals more readily than people with a different set of values.

    The best way to counterbalance hazing, in my opinion and experience, would be to shine a light on it. If we can keep initiation rituals under the public eye and opinion. It would certainly be more accountable and noticeable than a hush-hush, secret society sort of affair, and definitely also vulnerable to ridicule when it swings into the absurd.

    I think people should also be made aware of the implicit psychological manipulation that comes with an initialization ritual that isn't specified until the last minute. Apart from the perception of 'sunk cost' already mentioned above, human beings do have a desire for self-consistency. For people to force themselves to walk away from an initiation rite already halfway in, it may trigger feelings that they are 'backing off on their words', or think that they are 'someone who could not hold a commitment' type of person. I think that if people are made aware of this before they engage in any efforts to join a group, they would be more aware of the event when it is happening and could actually think about it instead of being subtly manipulated to a preferred position of automatic continuation and acceptance of the rituals that are slowly turning increasingly bizarre.

    I don't think I'll pass a judgement on hazing though. Considering the different personalities, preference and tolerance levels that people have. As long as people actually consent beforehand and not coerced into it, they could choose their own ordeal. What I'd rather have is for groups to be upfront about what they require of their new recruits, and if they have the necessary means of taking care of unfavourable possibilities that could still arise (as in, do they have a doctor on hand if they decide to drag everyone binge drinking? Can they assure that no one is getting permanent harm?).

    Personally, I disagree with hazing. But since I can't see a way to eradicate it altogether, why not control it and make it safer for everyone involved?

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  8. Smart post admin but i think you need more explanation and more Pics
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  9. thanks for all the informations amie..i love your articles..i like it..it helps me a lot, especially in my studies..hope you to post more...

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  10. Good article and great topic, another reason for hazing and initiation rites is possibly to make the person ''work'' to gain entry to a group so that they may have greater appreciation for it once they are granted access. After all, people value things more if they work for it otherwise if a person can walk in and out of a group they would lose interest and respect for it fairly quickly. But by having to put the work in the prolonged acceptance this gives the group a kind of ''scarce commodity'' aura to it, similar to having to wait longer than you normally would for a film release but because of the wait and anticipation you value it more. I believe innately this is what the groups recruiters thinking is also.

    Brian

    brainstormpsychology.blogspot.com

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  11. I see I have found this pretty late...I was at North Georgia College, as it was then known, and dated one of the inductees. They lost their charter when a new Commandant heard about the hazing and went out and caught them. I think it was suspended for several years. Years later I heard it was actually more of an honor society than a hazing society after restoration.

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