After the mass suicides related to the cults at Jonestown, people tended to blame the victims and accuse them of being psychologically unstable or deranged.Social psychologists are more likely to explain these mass suicides as being due to

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Social psychologists have extensively studied the phenomena of conformity and obedience, which are both examples of the power of social influence. In the case of Jonestown and other cults, the leaders often use tactics such as isolation, manipulation, and brainwashing to make their followers believe in their messages and take extreme actions. The mass suicides were a result of the social influence of these leaders on vulnerable individuals, rather than individual differences or mental illness.

After the Mass Suicides Related to the Cults at Jonestown