Cults 101
True or False: Many cult leaders are afraid of being left.
True!
What are the two main characteristics observed in cult leaders?
Charisma & authority!
According to attachment theory, which condition is best for observing attachment bonds in children?
Conditions that create fear!
This NRM encouraged women to engage in "Flirty Fishing"
Children of God - "The Family International"
In this cult, the leader believed that young wives (12 to 15 years of age) were "celestial wives"
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (FLDS)
What is relationship zero?
You know this!
Among the various pathways into cults, which is the stereotypical pathway?
The Seeker
What are some other terms for brainwashing? List 2.
Coercive persuasion, thought reform, emotional control.
Behaviors, not beliefs.
This cult encouraged males to receive vasectomies and ordered 280 couples to divorce.
What is cognitive collapse?
Be sure to explain!
These groups help recruit members, but they often hide the true agenda behind the cult and its beliefs.
Front groups
Main & Solomon postulated that there is disorganized attachment, too. What would this look like?
hmm..
According to the FBI, New Religious Movements (NRMs) can pose dangerous threats to society. List 4 to 5 of the risk factors associated with NRMs, per the FBI.
History of violence,
Researching violent methods,
Abrupt changes in philosophy or recruitment strategies,
Stockpiling weapons (Hello, Waco!),
Mental health issues among the leader - paranoia,
Training to use weapons or practicing for suicide,
Violence existing within the group
Remember Dr. Hassan's BITE Model of Authoritarian Control? What does each letter stand for?
Behavior Control,
Information Control,
Thought Control,
Emotion Control
How would you define a cult? Be sure to differentiate it from other groups using key terms and behaviors.
Hmm :)
According to Stein, what is the way out of a cult?
Bowlby famously created Attachment Theory.
1. What is the importance of this theory?
2. What is the monotropic bond?
3. Explain the three attachment types discussed in class as it relates to attachment theory.
You know this!
1. Explain
2. Explain again
3. Secure attachment, Preoccupied attachment, Dismissing attachment
Describe, in detail, the actions of one destructive cult. Be sure to list the leader, some of their beliefs, and evidence that it is/was destructive in nature.
:)
Please explain the design and outcomes of Milgram's experiment. Why was he conducting this research?
According to Stein, there are five dimensions of a cult. List them and explain three!
• Leadership
• Structure
• Ideology
• Process: Brainwashing
• Outcomes
Explain three
List the five pathways into followership (according to Stein).
Explain 3 of them.
1. The Seeker
2. Pulled in
3. Born in or raised in
4. Kidnapped or "press-ganged"
5. Being part of a totalitarian state
Lifton lists eight conditions inherent in Thought Reform (i.e., another term for brainwashing). List them and briefly describe them in 4-6 words.
1. Milieu Control
2. Mystical Manipulation
3. The Demand for Purity
4. The Cult of Confession
5. The Sacred Science
6. Loading the Language
7. Doctrine over Person
8. The Dispensing of Existence
Lifton lists 3 criteria for destructive cults. What are they? List and briefly explain!
1. A charismatic leader (this becomes more important as the initial appeal of the group fades)
2. Thought reform (AKA Brainwashing AKA Coercive persuasion)
3. Exploitation of the group members
Explain who is vulnerable for joining a cult and in doing so, mention whether or not attachment status matters when one joins a cult.
Hmm..