Introduction
The film Twelve Angry Men is a cinematic masterpiece featuring a compelling drama about the American judicial system. In the film, twelve people play the roles of jurors deciding a young man’s destiny on murder charges. The jurors’ passionate arguments demonstrate the nuances of interpersonal interaction, group dynamics, and persuasion.
For this Honors Project, we will watch the movie in question and discuss how the jurors’ individual experiences and relationships with one another shaped the verdict. This study will examine how jurors’ communication methods, personal values, and life experiences affected their understanding of trial evidence.
Nonverbal communication, group communication, and persuasion are the focal points of this paper’s analysis of the film. The trial’s result may be better understood by finding concrete instances of these communication principles and using applicable communication theories. This research will show how subtleties in communication significantly influence character interactions and the trial’s conclusion, illuminating the multifaceted nature of human interaction.
Intrapersonal Processes
Internal psychological processes inside an individual are referred to as intrapersonal processes. This includes a person’s perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and responses to stimuli. Their internal processes significantly influence individuals’ actions, perspectives, and convictions.
The famous movie “Twelve Angry Men” illustrates how one’s thoughts and feelings may influence judgment. A twelve-person jury decides the fate of a young man on trial for murder in the film. As the discussion continues, it becomes clear that the jurors’ prejudices, opinions, and personal experiences are influencing their decision-making.
For instance, Juror 3 first believes the defendant is guilty because of the parallels he draws between the accused and his kid. At first, he completely shuts down to anything that may disprove his ideas. He questions his prejudices and thinks critically as the dialogue continues.
Another juror, Juror 8, uses logic and reason to make impartial decisions after carefully considering all the information. He challenges the witnesses’ and other jurors’ preconceptions and prejudices to get a fair and reasonable conclusion.
Internal variables affect decision-making in other research. Hasson and Arnetz (2019) found that healthcare providers’ decisions were influenced by their personal views, beliefs, and values. According to the research, despite data supporting the efficacy of new techniques or treatments, healthcare workers who hold more conservative values and beliefs are less inclined to accept them.
Internal mechanisms may also affect emotional control. Self-esteem is an intrapersonal process, and Matos et al. (2018) research shows that it correlates with emotional regulation. Researchers discovered that people who valued themselves more could better control their emotions.
Decision-making and emotional control are two areas where intrapersonal processes are very important. As seen in the film “Twelve Angry Men,” one’s prejudices, beliefs, and experiences may cloud judgment. Similarly, extramural studies have shown how internal processes affect judgment in different settings. To make reasonable and fair choices, one must be aware of and make an effort to critically evaluate one’s internal processes.
Interpersonal Processes
“Interpersonal processes” are how individuals communicate their ideas, emotions, and values. These procedures are essential in many fields, including medicine, since they affect patient satisfaction, clinical decision-making, and treatment efficacy.
According to studies, clinicians’ unique values, beliefs, and attitudes may affect therapeutic decision-making. Personal characteristics of healthcare workers, such as age, gender, educational level, and years of experience, were found as contributing variables in a systematic study by Hasson and Arnetz (2019). The authors found that healthcare professionals’ biases and patient care values may impact their decisions. Experts’ communication patterns may also affect patient outcomes, such as their ability to listen, show empathy, and convey information clearly.
As with physical health, mental health may be affected by interpersonal dynamics. Emotion regulation, defined as the “interpersonal process involving the ability to manage one’s emotions,” was discovered by Matos et al. (2018) to moderate the connection between attachment styles and depressive and anxious symptoms. The findings imply that those with insecure attachment patterns are more likely to have unfavorable mental health consequences due to difficulty managing their emotions.
The 1997 film adaptation of “Twelve Angry Men” is a great example of the significance of interpersonal dynamics. The video follows a group of twelve people as they deliberate on whether or not a young guy is guilty of murder. Throughout the film, interpersonal processes, including communication, attitude, and belief, impact decisions. Example: Juror 8’s (Jack Lemmon) analytical and compassionate communication approach helped convince his other jurors to change their minds and return a not-guilty verdict.
Improved patient outcomes and satisfaction are possible results of well-functioning interpersonal processes in healthcare settings. Building trust with patients and increasing the likelihood of sticking to treatment regimens are possible outcomes of health workers displaying empathy, active listening, and excellent communication skills (Hasson & Arnetz, 2019). Emotional regulation and safe attachment are two interpersonal processes that improve mental health outcomes in clinical settings (Matos et al., 2018).
Interpersonal processes are important in many fields, such as medicine and psychology. Decision-making procedures and results are impacted by these processes, affecting communication, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions. In order to boost patient outcomes and satisfaction, healthcare personnel must acknowledge the impact their qualities have on patient care and cultivate strong interpersonal skills.
Group Processes
“Group processes” explain how numerous people work together to solve an issue. To make therapeutic judgments, healthcare professionals, like the general public, are influenced by their biases and preconceptions (Hasson & Arnetz, 2019). The dynamics of a group and its ability to make decisions may shift depending on these specific elements.
The film “Twelve Angry Men” (1997) is a notable illustration of group processes since it depicts a jury deliberating and reaching a verdict in a high-stakes murder trial. The video shows how group dynamics may affect an individual’s thoughts and actions. Some jurors may agree with the majority or be convinced by others.
As we have shown, emotional regulation and attachment patterns may also impact group dynamics. Anxiety and depression symptoms are affected by a person’s attachment style, as discovered by research by Matos, Pinto-Gouveia, and Duarte (2018). Anxiety and irritation, both common in group settings, may affect how people act and what they choose to focus on.
Familiarity with group dynamics is useful in many contexts, from healthcare teams to work teams to social groupings. Leaders better manage their teams and enhance results if they understand how people behave in groups and how group dynamics impact decision-making.
Group Processes would enhance this book’s coverage of human interaction and decision-making. This subsection might make more sense after the discussion of interpersonal processes. It also works well as a transition into the paper’s conclusion when the key themes are recapped.
Public Discourse
Politicians, journalists, activists, and the public may participate in public discourse. How individuals talk about important topics in public may have a major impact on the outcomes of such situations. The movie Twelve Angry Men (1997) shows how public debate may affect the results of court cases.
The destiny of a young guy accused of murder is decided by a jury of twelve people in the film. Conflicts and disputes arise when jurors air their prejudices and assumptions throughout the deliberate process. After extensive discussion and fact-checking, the jury reaches a verdict. The video shows how public dialogue that is both open and polite may help guarantee equitable results.
Hasson and Arnetz’s (2019) research emphasizes the importance of clinicians’ biases and worldviews when making therapeutic decisions. Personal biases among healthcare workers were shown to affect clinical judgments substantially. The influence of individual biases may be mitigated, and improved patient outcomes can be achieved by encouraging open and honest communication among healthcare practitioners.
Matos et al. (2018) further show the importance of emotional control in mediating the link between attachment styles and depressive/anxiety symptoms. According to the research, the positive effects of attachment patterns on mental health were moderated by using appropriate communication and emotion control tactics.
As the film Twelve Angry Men demonstrates, public speech is key in molding social and political results. Fair and just results may be achieved via public discourse if it promotes open and polite dialogue and encourages people to evaluate their prejudices and assumptions critically.
Conclusion
The film Twelve Angry Men is a great example of how complicated human relationships and choices can be. The characters’ private thoughts, public debate, and interpersonal dynamics contribute to the conclusion. The video emphasizes self-awareness, emotional regulation, and critical thinking for high-stakes decisions. It highlights the need for open dialogue, attentive listening, and tolerance for differing team viewpoints. Two independent studies support that emotional regulation mediates attachment styles and psychological well-being and that considering patients’ perspectives is crucial in therapeutic decision-making. In sum, Twelve Angry Men is a classic reminder of the significance of human connection and the difficulty of negotiating the interplay of our individual and collective social and emotional environments.
References
Hasson, H., & Arnetz, J. (2019). Healthcare profA systematic review of healthcare individual attitudes, beliefs, and values and their clinical decision-making: A systematic ation and Counseling, 102(5), 860-871. doi 10.1016/j.pec.2019.01.010
Matos, M., Pinto-Gouveia, J., & Duarte, C. (2018). Emotion regulation as a mediator between attachment patterns and anxiety and depression symptomatology. Journal of Affective Disorders, 239, 220-228. doi 10.1016/j.jad.2018.05.024
Twelve Angry Men. (1997). Dir. William Friedkin. Perf. Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, James Gandolfini. MGM Home Entertainment, DVD.
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