Deindividuation

• Deindividuation - proposed by Zimbardo and suggested that aggression occurs when a person loses their sense of identity and therefore feels less constrained by society’s rules of behaviour.
• According to Zimbardo - deindividuation is most likely to happen when an individual is a member of a large group particularly wearing uniform or the influence of drugs or alcohol.

  These conditions enable a person to feel anonymous ad therefore less responsible for their own actions so may behave more aggressive.
• AO3 - Zimbardo

  Conducted a study with groups of female students and asked them to administer electric shocks to another participant in order to aid learning in a fe task.

  In one condition the participant wore their clothes and were introduced individually

  In the second, participants were never referred to by name and wore bulky lab coats that covered them

  It was fond that the second condition delivered shocks twice as long as the other condition
• Zimbardo believed that being in a large group gives people 'a cloak of anonymity' that diminishes any personal consequences for their actions.
• People normally refrain from acting in an aggressive manner partly because there are social norms inhibiting them from doing so and partly because they are easily identifiable.

  Being in an anonymous crowd has the psychological consequence of reducing inner restraints and increasing the likelihood of aggressive behaviour.
• AO3 - Johnson and Downing

  Dressed participants in a mask and overall or as hospital nurses.

  The participants in masks and overall gave higher shocks than a control group and nurse uniforms gave lower shocks. Suggesting that deindividuation is a possible cause of aggression but other factors like the social role we are playing may affect how aggressive we become.
• AO3 - practical application

  Has led to more street lighting and CCTV in areas that are known for anti-social behaviour.

  If people are aware that they can be seen and identified, they should be less likely to commit anti social acts. Suggesting it may be a useful theory.
• AO3

  Aggression often occurs in situations where the perpetrators are not deindividuated such as when a driver gets road rage, they are identifiable through their number plate.

  Suggests that the theory might have a narrow application
• AO3 - studies that suggest deindividuation does not always lead to aggression

  Deindividuation can lead to pro social behaviour when pro social environmental cues are present such as a prosocial model.

  This suggests deindividuation theory might not be a valid theory of aggression.
• AO3 - gender biased

  Some research has found that deindividuation is more likely to be a cause of aggression in males rather than females, suggesting this theory may be gender biased.