The Power of the Situation - Rodney King

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…Powell, Wind, and Briseno were acquitted of charges of brutality toward Rodney King, there ensued a riot in Los Angeles which lasted for three days and took the nation by utter surprise. This is a powerful case which empirically displays that human thought and action are deeply affected by situational influences. The participants constructed a social role that caused them to act contrary to their beliefs, values, and personalities in order to resolve their grievances.