A03

• X evidence to contradict from gergen 1973?

  • group of 8 p who were complete strangers
  • placed in room with each other for 1 hour & told to do whatever they liked with no rules & no one will stop them
  • no way to be identified & assured they would never encounter each other again
  • found they were not aggressive
  • instead started to touch & kiss each other
  • may lead to sexual behaviour rather than aggressive
  • if explanation was accurate they would have displayed aggressive rather than affectionate behaviour towards each other
• * evidence from zimbardo - prison?

  • guards lost sense of public self awareness - hidden behind aviators & uniform - became deindividuated & free from consequences
  • prisoners lost sense of private self awareness - referred to as numbers only - more likely to behave as prisoners than their selves hence becoming aggressive
  • shows that anonymity causes group to become more aggressive than they would have been individually due to loss of public & private self awareness
• * evidence from zimbardo - milgrams?

  • replicated milgrams electric shock study
  • G1 - not deindividuated - introduced to learner,wore own clothes,wore name badges,completed test in close proximity to learner
  • G2 - deindividuated - not introducted,wore long cloaks & hoods,no name badges,completed test away from learner
  • deindividuated group shocked learner for twice as long as did identifiable group
  • shows when p are anonymous they are more likely to display aggressive behaviour
• * practical application?

  • if we know that loss of public self awareness leads to increase in aggressive behaviour then steps can be taken to reduce feeling of anonymity & so reduce aggression
  • eg police use this by mounting CCTV cameras in areas where aggression occurs - football hooliganism
  • often accompanied by signs alerting people to fact that theyre being filmed to try & reduce aggression before it starts
  • means that we can reduce aggression in society
  • so less strain on criminal justice system to spend money on this & can be put back into other areas of economy