Studying human behaviour

In our last TOK class Rohullah and me designed an experiment to a hypothesis that students in our school will demonstrate more juvenile behaviour at lunch time. We found that the best way is to start counting people who make the most noise and who move themselves more actively. For example in the morning we can maybe see only one or two people run around or stand up rather than sit down and sleep. But during the lunch time students have more time to fool around and when they have eaten the chances are that they have more energy.
But this all is just a hypothesis, can we ever be able to truly study human behaviour? I think that everything is very subjective due to the fact that people are different and have different lives. Noone is completely same because they have differents aspects affecting their lives. Also how can we be sure that the researcher defines the human behaviour in their studies correctly. The researcher is also different and may have a different point of view.
One other point that rises in this experiment is the ethical issue. Is it ethical to observe(stalk) people in order to understand their behaviour?
In conclusion I think that there is a certain extent to which we can understand and predict human behaviour, but in most cases it is all subjective and affected by different factors we miht never truly understand. But where is that extent?

Manipulating through emotions

Emotion is one of the strongest powers and feelings a person can have. By that it also makes it one of their biggest weaknesses. When other people find out how to play with your emotions they often use the ability(maipulation) in favour of themselves.

Playing with peoples emotions is not a rare thing in today's society. We experience it every day- advertisments, media, politicians our peers etc. But knowing that we are being manipulated with the whole time how can we distinguish our own thoughts and opinions ?

Politicians are known for playing with peoples emotions in order to gain their trust and favour. When communicating with the public they often use language that makes them look good. I have found the 2004 Obama speech where he in my opinion pressures alot on peoples emotions.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFPwDe22CoY

By saying how it is unlickely that he is there due to the poor conditions he had in his childhood he is making people feel pitty for him. Also by talking about a little boy who can't read and a senior citizen who can't afford their medicine he makes people sad and compassionate, but by saying that he cares about them and will make their conditions better people will now associate him with something good and happy(by imagining that little boy actually getting an education). In his speech he is trying to create a nice and a cozy feeling in people so they everytime they think of him they also remember the feeling. 

Obama is not the only one of politicians to make a speech like this but is just like any other. He is just one of few who actually completed something he promised while as other politicians play the same pity card and don't achieve anything. 

For example in Estonia we have a famous politician called Edgar Savisaar, who indeed played a role in freeing Estonia from the Soviet Union, but who is now very corrupted and money based. He is very loved by older citizens because it had the biggest impact on their lives and they trust him now completely. But younger people can see the new world and know that things are not fine. 

In many of his public speeches he talks about how he is going to offer a good pension for the elderly people and always brings up how he "saved Estonia". This is clearly playing with the emotions and memories of people who can't deside any better anymore.

Thorughout our everyday life we are influenced by those people and in most cases people fall for the manipulation even if they try not to.