Nabil ShukriRobert ZimmermanPsych 1053/14/2014Assignment Seven: Social Psychologyhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085869/Return-camp-suicide-30-years- nightmare -Jonestown-happen-again.htmlWhen I came across this article, I couldn't believe what I had just read and how something like this could happen. They followed a guy named Jim Jones and believed he was some sort of messiah. He convinced his followers to kill themselves for unknown reasons. For him, their deaths were honorable and a groundbreaking act of suicide. This has become shocking news to the world. The story goes that they were the People's Temple and were founded by Jim Jones. Their headquarters was in Jonestown, Guyana. The people who joined it were people neglected by society, without strong family ties or unable to deal with life's problems. These are the possible reasons, but they may have come together for various reasons, but they had one thing in common: they had Jim Jones. If this tragedy were to examine the conformity, cognitive dissonance, and obedience of social psychology, people would understand why followers followed Jim Jones. The characteristics of his followers were from low-income families where life was not easy, but hard. So this led them to want better belonging and security. Perhaps some were looking for community and acceptance. Even alcoholics and drug addicts have joined the group hoping for help and understanding. Jones had a status for socialism. Perhaps this fact attracted people. As mentioned above, followers were looking for belonging. People were able to bond through their work and other group stuff. Then they began to conform to Jim Jones' government. They gave up… middle of paper… the community and belonging they had longed for. They have gone through difficult times, but have gained a community they can call “family.” After all, they believed that their hard work benefited the community and they enjoyed knowing it. Thanks to them, the community has become a "family". Jonestown is a good example of social psychology and how conformity, obedience and cognitive dissonance can negatively affect us and everyone. These principles happen in our daily lives, but people tend not to see them. Works Cited Jones, David. "Return to the Suicide Camp: 30 Years Later, Could the Jonestown Nightmare Be Repeated?" Post online. Associated Newspapers, 14 November 2008. Web. 09 March 2014McLeod, Saul. "Obedience to authority." - Simply psychology. Np, nd Web. March 11, 2014Myers, David G. Psychology in Forms. Tenth edition. New York: it's worth it, 2010.