Candid Camera http://www.betterdaystv.net/play.php?vid=19442

For those of you not familiar with Candid Camera, this was a TV show that involved cameras that captured the behavior of unsuspecting people. They were set up in a situation, and then filmed. This snippet from Candid Camera reminds me of how group behavior affects us. In this segment, we watch what happens when an unsuspecting man gets into the elevator.

It makes me think of how jurors react when debating the merits of a claim. Does a strong group member sway the others? What kind of pressure is brought to bear on a person who is holding out and preventing the jurors from reaching unanimous verdict? Focus groups can be fascinating as you watch how group dynamics affect group decision making.

In some states attorneys are allowed to ask the jurors to discuss their verdict, but in other states, such discussions are forbidden.

How do you react to group pressure? Could you have withstood the pressure this man felt in the elevator? Write a comment.