This document discusses how social psychology has shifted from focusing on solving social problems to controlling individual behavior to benefit elites. Originally, social psychologists sought to address issues like poverty and discrimination. However, during the 1950s, views influenced by Marxism became heretical, and research focused instead on manipulating individual thoughts and actions. Federal funding pushed social psychology to adopt this elitist approach aimed at conforming populations rather than helping disadvantaged groups. Now, behavior technologies are developed to strengthen dominant social groups' power rather than improve everyone's quality of life. This cult-like control of individuals resembles totalitarian regimes more than democratic ideals of free will.

1. Running Head: EFFECTS OF ELITISM ON SOCIAL PSCYHOLOGY
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Effects of Elitism on Social Psychology
Deborah Thornton
University of Houston Clear Lake

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During the last century the goal of social psychology has seen a remarkable shift from
solving social ills to a more elitist view of controlling individual thought and behavior through
technology. There has been a decisive movement in western culture to focus less on structural
deformities within our society. Current research has been focused on the control and manipulation
of an individual’s thoughts, actions, and reactions. As western societies move away from the
altruistic goals of structural pluralism, social psychology has begun to reflect the ideas commonly
found in an elitist societies.
Between the 1940s and the 1950s social psychologists were in agreement that behavior
change techniques should be used to produce a better world. (Kipnis, 1994) While it appears that
these first and second generation social psychologists had honorable intentions, their views became
jaded to meet the more demanding views of the elite majority. During the middle of the twentieth
century, any views that mirrored Marxism or socialism, were considered heresy, and thus had a
significant effect on the course of study that social psychology would take. No longer would the
focus be on social disruptions caused by poverty, discrimination, and violence, but instead, studies
would now focus on changing an individual’s thoughts, and therefore his behavior. With the
development of social classes, the amount of power held by the elite, or bourgeoisie, became the
impetus for all social science research. Federal funding agencies of the 1950s viewed social
research as being “politically left and not having a methodologically rigorous objective . . . and
important for national welfare and defense”. (Johnson, 1992, p 146) These views had a profound
impact on the future study of social psychology. Federal governments’ influence forced social
psychologists to abandon early social theories focused on solving societal inefficiencies and
redirected their attention to producing individuals that would conform to the elitist views of social
order. From this point forward social psychology has no longer been interested in addressing the

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problems that individuals encounter while trying to live and thrive in a culture of elitist values that
are devoid of overall humanitarian goals.
While postulating the current theories being explored in social psychology the author has
formed many salutary theories in direct conflict with the elitist views of current western society.
First, by using laboratories to study social behavior scientists are missing a vital part of the
sociological equation. Social life is consistently changing and shapeshifting, reflecting if you will,
the current political and economic powers that are in place. In the controlled environment of a
laboratory, it would be ludicrous to believe that a true study of individual behavior would ever
produce useful and relative results. Second, behavior technologies that are currently being used
within the field of social psychology are developed to promote the goals and ideals of an elitist
economy. Social psychologist no longer take into account the objectives of the population that are
most affected by the dissipation of organic solidarity within western culture. This specific
population, the lower echelons of our society, are summarily dismissed in modern social
psychological research. Since this portion of western society has little to no effect on the elite and
their continuous search for more power, current research is summarily focused on problem solving
for the dominant social groups. Behavior technologies are currently developed to strengthen the
power of the dominant group. There seems to be little interest in addressing the quality of life for
the proletariat population. Lastly, the power of social psychologist to use behavioral technology to
observe and manipulate how individuals react to society speaks loudly to the cult of personality
theory. Personality cults are related to totalitarian regimes that sought to alter or transform society
according to the radical ideas of a single leader. Research that advocates displacing more power
into the dominant social groups, belittles the ideals of democracy. While westerners may believe
they have the power of free will, elitist economic and political machines are using science to alter

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our thoughts and actions to conform to their single minded goal to obtain the majority of power
and wealth. The author would propose that under the guise of capitalism western societies are
becoming bourgeois democracies.

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References
Johnson, D. (1992). Psychology in Washington: Next to nothingness and being at the National
Science Foundation. Psychological Science, 3. 145-149.
Kipnis, D. (1994). Accounting for the use of behavior technologies in social psychology. American
Psychologists, Vol 49, No.3, 165-192.
Kreis, S. (2000). Stalin and the cult of personality. The History Guide: Lectures on Twentieth
Century Europe. Retrieved August 30, 2015 http://www.historyguide.org.europe/cult.html

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