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Sophie's Choice, starring Meryl Streep in her Oscar winning role, depicts the life of Stingo - a young writer who moves to Brooklyn in 1947, following WWII, to begin working on his first novel. He begins to live in an apartment duplex, and quickly befriends Sophie and her partner, Nathan. However, as they draw closer, he learns that Sophie is a Holocaust survivor, and her harrowing story is told through her recurring flashbacks. These vary from her pre-war prosperity, to Auschwitz. In the present, Sophie and Nathan's relationship begins to unravel and Nathan's fragile mental state becomes more and more apparent to Stingo.

The film brings examples of conformity, aggression, obedience, deindividuation, compliance, altruism, and bystander effect to the forefront. These examples of social interaction become extremely apparent throughout various scenes.

Attached below is the trailer for 'Sophie's Choice.'

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Sophie's Choice (1982) Official Trailer HD

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Prior to this scene, Sophie has just escaped the traumatic scenes of WW2. She finds herself out of her element in the new world, so she decides to attend English lessons at a local library.

This is an example of conformity. Psychology Today describes conformity as 'the tendency to align our attitudes, beliefs and behaviours with those around us' (PsychologyToday, 2018). It is very clear that Sophie has begun attending this class to conform to society and communicate with those that speak English in order to coincide with those around her. More specifically, Sophie is demonstrating normative conformity. This is described as the want or desire to be liked and accepted by the people that surround you (Study.com, 2013). Sophie realises that the ability to speak fluent English means that it will be easier for others to accept and welcome her, explaining her strong yearn to learn the language.

Attached below is this scene.

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In this scene, it is clear that Nathan, a Jewish scientist, is growing more and more aggressive towards Sophie. Further on throughout the movie, it is revealed that Nathan has a mental illness, a clear biological influence on his aggression.
Throughout the scene, Nathan grows frustrated towards Sophie. This is an example of the second version of the frustration aggression hypothesis, modified by Leonard Berkowitz. Nathan's goal, getting Sophie to answer his questions, has become blocked, thus, he feels anger. The environmental cue, Stingo interfering, causes him to be extremely aggressive towards Stingo.

Secondly, this is also an example of Altruism from Stingo. By stopping Nathan from attacking Sophie physically, he intervenes out of selfless motives; purely because he feels concern for Sophie's well-fare.

Attached below is this scene.

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Sophie's Choice (3/10) Movie CLIP - The Land of the Living (1982) HD

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Obedience is shown through the most famous scene of the movie entitled, 'The Choice.'  In this flashback, the frightened Polish mother, Sophie, stands in the line awaiting the German concentration camps with her two children. A girl and a boy, one in her arms and one hugging her legs.

This is a direct example of obedience, more specifically, obedience under the presence of authority. By complying by the instructions given by the authority, this scene is an example of Stanley Milgram's 'shock obedience study,' in which the participants given the role of 'teacher' inflicted electric shocks on people titles 'learners.' They continued to do this despite them thinking they were causing harm to another human being, purely because there was a 'white coat'/authority present. Sophie did exactly this, exposed her daughter to direct harm to comply with the authority and be obedient to them.

Additionally, this is also an example of the bystander effect. This is a situation where people surrounding a person in need are less likely to help as other bystanders are present. This scene is a prime example of this as there are many other people visable in the scene who are neglected to help and assist Sophie.

Attached below is this scene.

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Sophie's Choice | "The Choice" | I Can't Choose.

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Throughout Sophie's flashbacks, she remembers several situations in which is is walking through a concentration camp and describing what she sees. Throughout this scene, the audience can observe that Sophie is wearing a grey and black striped jumpsuit with a number on it, the same as those that can be observed in the distance.

This is an example of deindividuation. Sophie has been stripped of her humanity and human qualities by those in charge of her. By dressing them the same and giving them a number instead of a name, the Nazis are stripping these people of their basic human rights and freedom. Additionally, when in the concentration camp, it is shown that there are large masses of people cramped into a small room. This may cause people to lose their self-awareness or sense-of-self as they are in such a large group.

Attached below is this scene.

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Throughout this scene, the protagonist Sophie is forming an ally with a stranger who approaches her, claiming he is a part of the resistance. Psychology Stage 1 by Linda Carter and John Grivas describe an alliance as beneficial because 'if participants are led to believe that their thoughts, feelings or behaviours are supported, shared or not disagreed with by at least one other person in their group...it leads to a reduction in the level of conformity.'

In this scene, both Sophie and the man from the resistance understand that they both have the same goal, to escape Hitler's reign and communicate their message, hence why Sophie aims to steal the radio later on in the movie. The presence of this ally in the movie reduces the conformity within both characters as they are refusing to just obey Hitler and stand by while he murders the Jewish population.

Attached below is this scene.

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Sophie's Choice (6/10) Movie CLIP - The Resistance (1982) HD

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Throughout this scene, it is clear that the commander is complying with Sophie's pleas. Very Well Mind describes compliance as '...changing one's behaviour due to the request or direction of another person.' The commander is doing exactly this, he understands that agreeing to this may have serious consequences and that he may be discovered, but he is choosing to comply with Sophie's request.

Attached below is this scene.

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Sophie's Choice (8/10) Movie CLIP - Free My Little Boy (1982) HD

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'Conformity | Psychology Today', Psychology Today,  2018,  Accessed: 1st November  2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/conformity

'Social Conformity Definition: Normative vs. Informational ', Study.com,  2017,  Accessed: 7th November  2018, https://study.com/academy/lesson/social-conformity-definition-social-vs-informational.html

Cherry, K 2018,  'The Psychology of Compliance', Very Well Mind,  Accessed 7th November  2018, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-compliance-2795888

Carter , L & Grivas, J 2005, Psychology - Stage 1, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Queensland. pp 92-94.