8.3:

8.3: Trampas Sociales

JoVE Core
Social Psychology

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JoVE Core Social Psychology

Social Traps

8.4: Aggression

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01:41 min

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February 12, 2020

Overview

Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned more cows, the larger herds would deplete the grass, and excessive herds and overgrazing can destroy the field and result in a collective loss for everyone (Hardin, 1968). Platt recognized that people who operated on short-term gains had a tendency to exploit resouirces, which led to long-term losses for society.

Applications

In addition to congested highways, you might know someone who's purchased a gas-guzzler when the price of gas became low due to high supply. What happens when more people do the same, fueling their vehicles with more gas, which in turn depletes the supply? The same pattern can be found in the way people think about environmental contamination. For instance, one farmer uses pesticides to get rid of a few pests. He thinks no one will even notice, but then his neighbors do the same thing, and over time, they collectively cause damage to the town's water supply.

Transcript

Cuando una persona hace algo, como salir del trabajo justo a las 5 en punto, puede sentir que su acción es inofensiva, simplemente quiere llegar a casa lo más temprano posible.

Sin embargo, si todo el mundo tiene un enfoque idéntico y se va convenientemente al mismo tiempo, el daño colectivo está hecho porque los recursos son limitados: ¡ahora hay un atasco de tráfico debido a que no se comparten carreteras suficientes!

Este ejemplo es una trampa social colectiva, una situación en la que un grupo de personas actúa para obtener ganancias individuales a corto plazo que, a largo plazo, pueden conducir a efectos indeseables para el grupo en su conjunto.

A medida que muchos conductores continúan persiguiendo sus propios intereses, como pensar que la brecha significa que un carril se mueve mucho más rápido que otro, tales caminos pueden alimentar el conflicto social, una incompatibilidad percibida de acciones, metas o ideas.

Con tal congestión, todos llegarán tarde a casa. ¡Ahora, debe esperar aún más! En este caso, está tan atrapado en el proceso, maldiciendo y quejándose, y el último pensamiento en su mente es respeto y justicia para todos los viajeros.

Si bien las trampas sociales son difíciles de desmantelar, una posible solución es implementar tácticas y políticas para mejorar las situaciones, como cambiar los horarios para producir horarios de salida escalonados o, si se comparte el automóvil, pagar peajes reducidos.

Al final, resolver las trampas expuestas, y no caer en la presa, es importante para evitar resultados desfavorables que pueden no ser obvios al principio.

Key Terms and definitions

Social Trap – A situation where immediate rewards lead to long-term collective negative consequences.
Short-term Gain – Benefits received swiftly that could lead to long-term harm.
Superordinate Goals – Shared objectives that necessitate cooperative efforts.
Environmental Contamination – Damage to environmental resources due to human activities.
Conflict Trap – A situation where conflict leads to conditions that perpetuate further conflict.

Learning Objectives

Define Social Trap – Explain its implications in psychology and societal contexts (e.g., social traps definition psychology).
Contrast Short-term Gains vs. Long-term Consequences – Discuss the impact of social traps (e.g., short-term gains).
Explore Examples of Social Traps – Describe real-world scenarios (e.g., environment contamination).
Explain the Conflict Trap – Discuss the cycle that fuels further conflict.
Apply Strategies to Avoid Social Traps – Discuss psychological methods to evade these situations.

Questions that this video will help you answer

What is a social trap and how does it create long-term harm?
What are some real-world examples of social traps?
How can conflict traps be seen as a form of social trap?

This video is also useful for

Students – Understand how the concept of social traps contributes to their comprehension of psychology and human behavior.
Educators – Provides a clear framework that aids in teaching topics on social psychology.
Researchers – The study of social traps offers significant insights for social and environmental studies.
Psychologists – Offers a deeper understanding of human behavior and collective decision-making processes.

Tags

Trampas Sociales Daño Colectivo Recursos Limitados Atasco de Tráfico Ganancias Individuales a Corto Plazo Efectos Indeseables Trampa Social Colectiva Conflicto Social Congestión Llegada Tardía Respeto y Equidad Tácticas y Políticas Horarios de Salida Escalonados Uso Compartido de Coches Peajes Reducidos Resolución de Trampas Resultados Desfavorables