Page 447 - The Social Animal

Social Psychology as a Science 429

which have been occurring since the first two people on earth began
interacting. By understanding these phenomena, the social psycholo-
gist may be able to help people understand the processes and conse-
quences involved and possibly refrain from performing a particular
behavior when they themselves decide it is dysfunctional.
But the mere fact that we, as working social psychologists, know
that the phenomena we deal with are not of our own creation does
not free us from moral responsibility. Our research often crystallizes
these phenomena into highly structured, easily applicable tech-
niques. There is always the possibility that some individuals may de-
velop these techniques and use them for their own ends. In the hands
of a demagogue, these techniques could conceivably turn our society
into an Orwellian nightmare. It is not my intention to preach about
the responsibilities of social psychologists. What I am most cog-
nizant of are what I believe to be my own responsibilities. Briefly,
they are to educate the public about how these techniques might be
used and to remain vigilant against their abuse as I continue to do
research aimed at furthering our understanding of us social ani-
mals—how we think, how we behave, what makes us aggressive, and
what makes us loving. Frankly, I can think of no endeavor more in-
teresting or more important.