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  3. In the 1960s and 1970s, classic social psychological studies were conducted that provided evidence that even normal, decent peop

In the 1960s and 1970s, classic social psychological studies were conducted that provided evidence that even normal, decent peop

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问题     In the 1960s and 1970s, classic social psychological studies were conducted that provided evidence that even normal, decent people can engage in acts of extreme cruelty when instructed to do so by others. However, in an essay published November 20 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, Professors Alex Haslam and Stephen Reicher revisit these studies’ conclusions and explain how awful acts involve not just obedience, but enthusiasm too—challenging the long-held belief that human beings are "programmed" for conformity.
    This belief can be traced back to two landmark empirical research (实证研究) programs conducted by Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo in the 1960s and early 1970s. Milgram’s "Obedience to Authority" research is widely believed to show that people blindly conform to the instructions of an authority figure, and Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) is commonly understood to show that people will take on abusive roles uncritically.
    However, Professor Haslam, from the University of Queensland, argues that tyranny does not result from blind conformity to rules and roles. Rather, it is a creative act of followership, resulting from identifying with authorities who represent vicious (恶意的) acts as virtuous (善良的).
    "Decent people participate in horrific acts not because they become passive, mindless functionaries (公职人员) who do not know what they are doing, but rather because they come to believe—typically under the influence of those in authority—that what they are doing is right," Professor Haslam explained.
    Professor Reicher, of the University of St Andrews, added that it is not that they were blind to the evil acts they were committing, but rather that they knew what they were doing, and believed it to be right.
    These conclusions were partly informed by Professors Haslam and Reicher’s own prison experiment, conducted in 2002 in collaboration with the BBC. The study generated three findings. First, participants did not conform automatically to their assigned role; second, they only acted in terms of group membership to the extent that they identified with the group; and finally, group identity did not mean that people simply accepted their assigned position—it also empowered them to resist it.
    Although Zimbardo and Milgram’s findings remain highly influential, Professor Haslam argues that their conclusions do not hold up well under close empirical scrutiny.
    Professor Reicher concludes that tyranny does not flourish because offenders are helpless and ignorant; it flourishes because they are convinced that they are doing something worthy.
What does the author mean by saying "human beings are ’programmed’ for conformity" (Line 6, Para. 1)?
选项 A、Human beings are designed to defy the instructions of others.
B、Human beings are forced to listen to the advice of others.
C、Human beings are ordered to take advice of others.
D、Human beings are made to be obedient to others.
答案D
解析 语义题。根据题干中的human beings are “programmed” for conformity可定位到原文第一段最后一句。理解该句的关键是理解conformit5r一词，根据做题经验，可在该词上下文寻找相关信息加以理解。第一段第一句提到…when instructed to do so by others(……当有人指导的时候)和how awful acts involve not just obedience (可怕的行为不仅因为服从)，可判断该段讲述的是“人性顺从”，由此可推断conformity是“顺从”的意思，引号中句子的意思就是“人类‘不由自主地’服从”，故选D。
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