Deindividuation

• Deindividuation, a concept introduced by Gustave LeBon (1896) and expanded by Prentice-Dunn and Rogers (1982), describes how individuals in a crowd can lose their sense of self and responsibility for their actions. In a group setting, anonymity and shared responsibility reduce both private and public self-awareness, leading to behaviors that individuals might not display on their own. As a result, crowds often act more aggressively compared to individuals acting alone.
• Mann's Study

  Mann’s (1981) ‘Baiting Crowd’ study examined 21 suicide incidents reported in American newspapers and found that in 10 cases, crowds encouraged the person to jump. This behavior was more common at night and influenced by the crowd's size and distance from the person. Mann linked this to deindividuation, where factors like darkness and large group sizes made individuals feel anonymous, increasing the likelihood of aggressive behavior.
• Strength - Anonymity & Aggression

  Douglas and McGarty (2001) studied the link between anonymity and aggressive behavior in chatrooms and instant messaging. They found that most hostile messages, or "flaming," were sent by users who hid their real identities. This behavior, often seen in online trolls, has been associated with serious outcomes like self-harm and suicide. Their findings support the idea that anonymity, a key factor in deindividuation, encourages aggressive behavior.
• Limitation

  Not all cases of deindividuation lead to aggression. Gergen et al. (1973) demonstrated this in their "Deviance in the Dark" study, where groups of eight strangers spent an hour in a pitch-dark room with complete anonymity. Instead of showing aggression, participants engaged in intimate behaviors like touching and kissing. In a follow-up study, when participants were told they would meet face-to-face afterward, physical interactions decreased. This suggests that deindividuation can lead to different behaviors depending on the context and expectations.