social-psychological: deindividuation

• crowd behaviour:

  • deindividuation used to explain crowd behaviour - usually behaviour is constrained by social norms - discouraged
  • lose restraint in crowd, sense of identity + responsibility
  • disregard norms + laws
  • less personal guilt about harming others
• deindividuation + aggression:

  • zimbardo distinguished between behaviours
  • individuated - rational, conform to social norms
  • deindividuated - irrational, emotional - lose self awareness + stop regulating own behaviour
• conditions that promote aggression:

  • darkness
  • drugs/alcohol
  • uniforms
  • masks/disguises
• research into deindividuation (zimbardo):

  • groups of 4 female undergrads gave shocks to students to aid learning
  • 1/2 = bulky lab coats, hoods, no name, separate cubicles
  • 1/2 = normal clothes, name tag, see eachother
  • findings: first half more likely to give shocks + hold button 2x longer
• research (dodd):

  • psych teacher asked 229 students if they could do anything possible without being detected/held responsible what would they do
  • 36% antisocial behaviour, 9% prosocial, 26% criminal acts (rob banks, rape, murder)
• EVALUATION: real world deindividuation

  • mann - 21 cases of suicidal jumpers where baiting occurred, conditions = dark, large crowd + distant from jumpers
  • online trolling = aggressive messages sent by people who hide identity, clear link
  • conditions led to deindividuation
• EVALUATION: lack of support

  • gergen et al - dark for 1 hour, told they could do whatever, cant identify + never see eachother again - talking, kissing, touching
  • study repeated, told theyd see eachother again, less interactions
  • individuals didnt turn aggressive
• EVALUATION: doesnt lead to aggression

  • johnson + downing - female participants gave fake shocks to confederates, one group kkk, nurses, own clothes
  • kkk more shocks, nurse fewest + most compassionate
  • aggression + prosocial outcomes of deindividuation