Improv Everywhere

I think if I want to know the first-hand information, I have to interview someone. ( Not included the person I know.) I will start to do this when I am free. So I am going to paste the information from the organization"Improv Everywhere".

1.Why do you do this?

Improv Everywhere is, at its core, about having fun. We’re big believers in “organized fun”. Our missions are a fun source of entertainment for the participants, those who happen to see us live, and those watch our videos. We get satisfaction from coming up with an awesome idea and making it come to life. In the process we hopefully bring excitement to otherwise unexciting locales and give Improv Everywhere is, at its core, about having fun. We’re big believers in “organized fun”. Our missions are a fun source of entertainment for the participants, those who happen to see us live, and those watch our videos. We get satisfaction from coming up with an awesome idea and making it come to life. In the process we hopefully bring excitement to otherwise unexciting locales and give strangers a unique experience and a great story to tell. We’re out to prove that a prank doesn’t have to involve humiliation or embarrassment; it can simply be about making someone laugh, smile, or stop to notice the world around them.

2.How did it start?

In August of 2001, I went out to a West Village bar with my college buddies Brandon Arnold and Jon Karpinos. On a whim we decided to pull a prank where we would enter separately and they would approach and identify me as musician Ben Folds. It worked. I spent three hours in the bar as “Ben Folds,” signing autographs, posing for photos, and drinking on the house. At the end of the night, I left the bar without revealing it had been a hoax. I had always been a prankster, but this experience got me excited about the potential of staging creative pranks in public places. The best part was everyone had a good time. As a comedian and actor new to the city, I discovered I could create my own performances rather than waiting around for someone to give me an opportunity. Bored at my temp job the next Monday morning, I wrote the story down and put it on the web. Improv Everywhere was born.

3.How can you call it “improv”? Your missions are clearly pre-planned!

We are not claiming that what we are doing is improv. The majority of Improv Everywhere Agents met each other through the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, the nation’s most awesome improv comedy theatre and school. While staging organized stunts in public places is obviously completely different from improv comedy in a theatre, the two activities do share similar techniques. We stay in character at all costs and usually have no script beyond the mission’s idea. We have no clue how people are going to react to us, and that is where the improvisation comes in. If I could go back in time and chose a different name, I would. After 12 years, I think I’m stuck with it.

4. Aren’t these flash mobs?

No. Improv Everywhere was created about 2 years before the first “flash mob.” While some of our missions may have certain similarities to a flash mob (large numbers of people engaging in a coordinated activity in a public place), we have never embraced that term. Some missions use just a few folks while others might use thousands, depending on what suits the idea. Also, our projects are rarely over in a flash. Many last for hours.

Over the years the term “flash mob” has been beaten to death by the media and co-opted by marketers. It’s become a lazy, catch-all term to describe things as varied as people dancing at a Black Eyed Peas concert to surprise Oprah Winfrey to teens meeting up to commit crimes in Chicago. I’m not sure what it even means anymore, and I don’t really care to use it to describe what we do.

5.Has any mission ever gone terribly wrong?

We’re not looking for legal trouble, but on occasion it has found us. See Even Better Than The Real Thing, No Pants 2k6, and Best Buy for examples of missions where the police got involved. We may break store policies or park regulations from time to time, but we do not break the law. It’s unfortunate whenever a cop has his time wasted responding to something we do.

*The books I bought from Amazon had just arrived on Saturday. I really need some time to read them so I can't upload the excerpts to my blog in the short time. I will try to finish reading them as fast as I can!

the connection

I divided the information I found into four sections:

These are the reason why people will join the flash mob  activities:

    

     (1) Pressure

           What causes pressure:

                Not only when we encounter big events but also when we got to deal with a lot of trivial things will make us feel pressure. In addition, having conflicts with someone else is also one of the reasons bringing pressure. The psychological reactions caused by pressure makes people can't concentrate on the things they want to do. Also, it makes people's ability to organize thoughts become worse and worse. When they emerge these symptoms, they would like to find a way to release their pressure. Maybe participating a flash mob activity is a kind of way to make themselves happier.

     (2) How do they regard ''flash mob''?
                 When we are trying to understand new things, we usually have different ways to explain or organize them into meaningful categories. For the same things, some people may think they are scary, others may explicate them as unique or awesome. As a result, for flash mob, some people possibly regard it as a special doings because joining it will make them feel cool or comfortable; but for the others, they may think it as a kind of activity that disturbs social order.

     (3) What's the purpose to participate in a flash mob?

                  Those people may have some expectations after joining flash mob. Maybe they hope they can relax or adjust themselves into a better situation in life. Having different expectations can lead to many choices in life. Besides, our own value propositions will affect our actions. Though people may have the same expectation, they may react in different behaviors. The reason is that they don't have the same opinions about the behavior consequences, such as flash mobs, someone prefers to join it, but others don't. On the other hand, there might be no purpose for them to participate in flash mob. They may just want to try once to join this cool activity. Or maybe the reason is that social environment makes us want to take part in it. Other people's emotional support and caring can make our compression index higher. Reports say that having more connections with society won't make us easily to get stress-related illnesses because friends and family can give us a lot of support. By acceding flash mobs, those people maybe can find their own sense of belongings and increase their confidence levels.

      (4) A kind of psychological treatments:

                   Psychological treatments means to use the concepts of psychology to treat people. All the techniques are meant to use to help those whose moods are disorder and to change their actions, ideological activities and emotions so that they can develop some useful ways to deal with their pressure and to improve their communications with other people. Besides, some psychologists believe that changing their actions is better for patients to get more understandings about their subconscious motivation and conflicts. Thus, taking part in a flash mob may heal their psychological traumas.

*These are the findings from my research and my perspective on this topic.

 

     

書名:心理學導論

• 個人變量 (P. 675~676 第二點~第五點)

1. 認知方式:你如何認識事物的?人們在捕捉信息，解釋或描述事物及信息組織成有意義的類別     或範疇等方面事千差萬別的。對同一事件，有人把它看成是令人恐懼的，另一個人則把它       當作是挑戰。

2. 對後果的期望:將發生什麼?對不同的行為後果的期望將指導著個體對行為的選擇。我們對自     身能力的期望也將影響行為:因為我們確信我們完成某一活動的能力，所以我門就能預見某       一種行為的後果。

3. 主觀的價值:什麼是有價值的?具有相似期望的個體可能選擇不同的行為，因為在他們的心目     中，行為後果被賦予不同的價值。

4. 自我調節的系統和計畫:即你如何實現你的目標?人們在調節行為時採納了不同的標準和準則      (包括字我實施的對成功或失敗的獎懲)。此外，個人在實現目標、執行實際計劃時，其能       力也是千差萬別的。

• 社會學習論對人格的描述 (P.676  第一段)

5. 正如精神分析取像那樣，社會學習取向對人格的理解也帶有決定論的色彩。然而與精神分       析取向相比，社會學習取向很少關注行為得生物決定因素，而是完全集中於對行為的環境       因素的研究。

• 壓力反應的變異 (P.726 第一段)

6. 現代的理論家們強調認知與情緒因素在決定對壓力性事件的生理反應中的重要性。從而，       一種特殊的的壓力源是否引發壓力反應及壓力反應模式，依賴於此種環境對當事人的意           義。

• 對壓力的心理反應 (P.727~728)

a. 認知損害 (P.727)

7. 壓力損害我們專心致志與邏輯地組織思想能力，它使我們不能集中注意於手頭的工作，我       們的思維活動傾向於受到對行為後果的憂慮與自我否定想法的支配。

8. 在壓力發生時，人們傾向於求助那些過去一直有效的行為模式。謹慎的人可能變得更加謹       小慎微和完全退縮不前，而有進攻傾向的人可能失去控制力，毫無必要的四處攻擊。如果       開頭的應對嘗試沒有成功，那麼焦慮便常常增強，個體的應對努力變得比較刻板，不能發       覺解決問題的辦法。

b.情緒反應 (P.728)

9. 壓力性的情境造成情緒反應，其範圍從興奮快樂(壓力性事件既被看作是對自己的一種要         求，又是一種可以處理的挑戰時)到較常見的焦慮、憤怒、沮喪與抑鬱的情緒。

10. 淡漠與抑鬱對人的行為的研究是複雜的。造成複雜的一個因素是，不同的人對類似情境的       反應方式不同。雖然對挫折的常見反應是主動攻擊，但相反的反應－退縮與情感冷漠，也       是常見的。如果壓力的條件持續存在，人又不能成功地應對它們，那麼淡漠的情感就會加       深而變成抑鬱。

• 壓力的來源 (P.739~741)

a. 日常困擾 (P.739)

11. 或許，造成重大壓力的不是重大的生活事件，而是我們日常生活中的輕微挫折與煩惱。研       究者們發現，日常困擾的積累與人們生活中的重大事件相比，是情緒與身體健康狀況的更       好的預測指標。

b. 衝突 (P.740~741)

12. 未解決的衝突是壓力的另一個來源。衝突往往發生於雙方對確定的目標，採取行動時各取       己見，互不相讓的節骨眼上。

• 影響壓力的情境因素 (P.742~743 第一跟最後一段)

13. 壓力源的某特點會影響壓力的嚴重性－即壓力源的可預見性與它的可控制性。對壓力體驗       發揮強而有利的另一個情境因素是社會支持的可用性。

14. 社會支持:其他人的情緒支持與關心可以使壓力變得較可忍受。許多研究指出，擁有許多社       會聯繫的人比那些沒有支持性社會聯繫的人生存時間長，不易罹患與壓力有關的疾病。朋       友與家屬能夠多提供多方面的支持。所以這些都有助於減少失助感或無助感並增強我們對       自己應對能力的信心。

• 壓力的應對 (P.744)

15. 一個人努力處理壓力性要求的過程，被稱為''應對''。有兩種形式: 一種是著重於問題，即         當是人估計壓力情境並做某事已改變或避開它。另一種形式著重於對問題的情緒反應，即       當事人直接處理產生焦慮的那個情境。

• 心理治療的方法 (P.838)

16. 心理學治療指採用心理學手段對心理障礙治療。所以技術都是要用來幫助情緒失常的人改       變行為、思想活動與情緒，以便他們能開發出較有用的方法來處理壓力以及與人相處。

17. 有些心理治療家相信，行為的矯正有賴於病人對其潛意識動機與衝突的了解；另一些心理       治療家認為，不必探討那些導致病情發展的因素，病人也能學會應對他們的問題。

• 社會態度是一種直覺的邏輯 (P.920)

18. 態度之間的一致性: 我們在早些時候已經指出，一個人的態度是可以連貫的，因為他們都         來自一組基本價值的核心。價值可以定義為對某些廣泛的行為方式(如勇敢、忠誠、友誼)         或對某些終極的存在狀態(如平等、救世、自由、自我實現)的基本態度。

Books

Here are the books that might help my project:

( I couldn't find much information in every book. That's why I find more than 10 books.)


1. Diana E. Papalia, Sally Wendkos Olds, Ruth Duskin Feldman(2002.6)。人類發展-成人心理學。       桂冠出版社。

2. Donald W. Winnicott(2009.3)。遊戲與現實。心靈工坊。

3. Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz(2011.6)。人格理論。洪葉出版社。

4. Jane Milton, Caroline Polmear, Julia Fabricius(2007.2)。精神分析導論。五南出版社。

5. Jerrold S. Greenberg(1995.11)。壓力管理。心理出版社。

6. John D. DeLamater, Daniel J.Myers(2007.8)。社會心理學。心理出版社。

7. Martha Augoustinos, iain Walker, Ngaire Donaghue(2010.12)。社會認知。心理出版社。

8. Patricia A. Resick(2003.12)。壓力和創傷。五南出版社。

9. Rita L. Atkinson, Richard C. Atkinson, Edward E. Smith, Daryl J. Bem(1994.6)。心理學導論。         曉園出版社。

10. Robert J. Stemberg(2010.3)。認知心理學。雙葉書廊。
   
11. 蘇建文,林美珍,程小危,林惠雅,幸曼玲,陳李綢,吳敏而,柯華葳,陳淑美(1991.10)。發展心理                學。心理出版社。

12. 林敬堯(2005.10)。情緒管理與壓力調適。心理出版社。

13. 溫世頌(2007.1)。心理學導論。三民出版社。

14. 李新鄉(2008.8)。組織心理學。五南出版社。

15. 高尚仁(1996.9)。 心理學新論。楊智出版社。