Aggression: De-individuation Flashcards
When behaviour is individuated , it is …
When behaviour is de-individuated , it is …
rational and conforms to social norms
emotional , impulsive and goes against social norms
What factors lead to de-individuation?
6 points
being in a large crowd of people
being anonymous
putting on a uniform
being under the influence of alcohol/drugs
being in darkness
sensory overload
When is aggression more likely to happen?
when a person is de-individuated , as the person is anonymous
Prentice-Dunn and Rogers 1982 explain the process of de-individuation as being …
make 1 more point about this
mediated by self awareness
when a person is not part of a large crowd , their self awareness regulates their behaviour
Explain what is meant by decreased public self-awareness
make 2 points
individuals become less concerned about the impression they present to others
due to being anonymous they feel much less accountable for their behaviour
Explain what is meant by decreased private self-awareness
make 2 points
What does this lead to?
individuals have less concern for their own internal standards
they are less critical , evaluative and thoughtful
this leads to a reliance on others for cues on how to behave
Who provides supporting evidence for de-individuation as a social psychological explanation for aggression?
+Douglas and McGarty 2001- investigated aggressive behaviour in chat rooms/ instant messaging
they found the most aggressive messages were sent by those hiding their identity
this suggests the link between anonymity , de-individuation and aggression has greater relevance today because of increased social media use , also increases validity
Who provides contradictory evidence ?
Johnson and Downing 1979- asked ppts to deliver shocks to a confederate ppts were either wearing a KKK outfit or a nurses outfit
those wearing a KKK outfit were more aggressive and those dressed as a nurse were more compassionate to their victim
this suggests de-individuation can also lead to pro-social behaviour , and that contextual cues determine what type of behaviour is most likely
Give a general weakness of de-individuation as a social psychological explanation for aggression
-other explanations
the de-individuation explanation fails to recognise the role of biology in causing aggressive behaviour
for example , neuronal and hormonal mechanisms and genetics
this means that de-individuation can not be considered a complete explanation for aggressive behaviour
Discuss a relevant issue and debate for the de-individuation explanation
What implications does this have for society?
the explanation is on the determinism side of the debate as it suggests individuals can’t control their behaviour when part of a group or crowd
this has implications on the judicial system as it is difficult to attribute responsibility if individuals have no free will
