de-individuation Flashcards
what is de-individuation?
a social psychological theory that sees aggression occurring when a person is part of a group/crowd
how would de-individuation cause aggression?
individual loses their sense of identity as they no longer feel autonomous, their moral beliefs are loosened and they adopt the morals of the group that are part of at that moment
who first used the term de-individuation?
Festinger et al 1952
what was Le Bon’s work on de-individuation?
-1895
-studies mob violence in the french revolution, observing people who weren’t usually aggressive but became capable of being so in a mob
-argued it was necessary to look at the individual
-said the larger the crowd, the more likely they would lose their identity
-their impulses that are normally moderated by internal standards rise
what other factors did ZImbardo say effected de-individuation?
-effects of drugs/alcohol
-reduced sense of responsibility
-sensory overload
what did Diener contribute to studying de-individuation?
-he felt it was mediated by self-awareness
-daily your self-awareness acts as a regulator of your behaviour, but in crowds the focus is outwards as there’s lots of stimulation to respond to, which declines their self-awareness
what are the 2 types of self-awareness?
who put them forward?
-Prentice-Dunn & Rogers 1982
-public self-awareness
-private self-awareness
what is public self-awareness?
-concerned with the appraisal of other people
-in a crowd the number of people appraising an individual is multiplied
-also feel a diffusion of responsibility
what is private self-awareness?
-the awareness of your own thoughts and feelings
-individual becomes distracted by a crowd so loses their self-awareness, as there are many environmental cues to focus on, so the person focuses on them rather than themselves
how else can de-individuation occur if not in a crowd?
when someone is hiding their identity
less likely to cause aggression, but can lead to immoral behaviours such as cheating or being selfish
research on de-individuation
-Postmes & Spears 1998 - meta-analysis of 60 research studies, finding evidence for de-individuation was low, as it doesn’t occur in all crowds
-Hirsh et al 2011 - in darkness people experience de-individuation, which could lead to prosocial as well as aggressive behaviour (similar effect found when people were drunk), suggesting it doesn’t necessarily result in a=negative aggressive behaviours
briefly evaluate de-individuation
-exact reason behind crowds affecting behaviour is unclear as it seems there are many factors involved, which may effect people differently
-since it can occur in darkness, practical application is to ensure areas are well lit, so likelihood of antisocial behaviour is low (CCTV has similar effect)
-could be that aggression occurs due to anonymity, rather than a loss of identity
-can only explain aggression in specific contexts, so has narrow application
