ISSUE 13. Can People Really Be Brainwashed?
YES: TRUDY SOLOMON, FROM “PROGRAMMING AND DEPROGRAMMING THE MOONIES: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY APPLIED,” THE BRAINWASHING/DEPROGRAMMING CONTROVERSY (EDWIN MELLEN PRESS, 1983)
NO: JAMES T. RICHARDSON, FROM “A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF ‘BRAINWASHING CLAIMS ABOUT RECRUITMENT TO NEW RELIGIONS,” THE HANDBOOK OF CULTS AND SECTS IN AMERICA (JAI PRESS, 1993)
Psychologist Trudy Solomon argues that well-known social psychological principles may explain the process by which brainwashing can occur. Also Solomon argues that some religious movements, generally referred to as cults, use these principles to recruit new members. Sociologist James T. Richardson believes that social psychological principles do not necessarily suggest that brainwashing is commonly used in new religious movements. Instead he believes that these organizations use the same recruitment tactics used by many organizations and therefore cannot be considered "brainwashing."