April Fools and the Psychology of Hazing
Apr. 1st, 2008 07:55 amPsychologists have studied pranks for years, often in the context of harassment, bullying and all manner of malicious exclusion and prejudice.
Yet practical jokes are far more commonly an effort to bring a person into a group, anthropologists have found — an integral part of rituals around the world intended to temper success with humility. And recent research suggests that the experience of being duped can stir self-reflection in a way few other experiences can, functioning as a check on arrogance or obliviousness.
-- Benedict Carey for The New York Times
And here I thought that hazing was just an opportunity for the established players to discharge some of their sadistic tendencies on powerless newbies.
Yet practical jokes are far more commonly an effort to bring a person into a group, anthropologists have found — an integral part of rituals around the world intended to temper success with humility. And recent research suggests that the experience of being duped can stir self-reflection in a way few other experiences can, functioning as a check on arrogance or obliviousness.
-- Benedict Carey for The New York Times
And here I thought that hazing was just an opportunity for the established players to discharge some of their sadistic tendencies on powerless newbies.