Deindividuation

Question 1

What is the theory based on?

Answer 1

Le Bon: In a crowd the combination of anonymity, suggestibility + contagion mean that a collective mind takes possession of the indi = loses self-control + acts against social norm

Question 2

What characterises deindividuation?

Answer 2

Lowered self-evaluation + decreased concerns about evaluation by others

Leads to increase in behaviour that would normally be inhibited by personal or social norms

Question 3

Factors which contribute to deindividuation

Answer 3

Anonymity + altered consciousness due to drugs or alcohol = anti-social behaviour

Question 4

Process of deindividuation

Answer 4

In a large crowd people feel faceless + anonymous

There is a diminished fear of negative evaluation of actions + a reduced sense of guilt

Conditions that increase anonymity also minimise concerns about evaluation by others + weaken normal barriers to antisocial behaviour based on guilt + shame

Question 5

Explain Zimbardo’s shock experiment

Answer 5

Those deindividuated shocked people for twice as long as identifiable particiapnts

Question 6

Rehm et al

Answer 6

Randomly assigned German school kids to non-uniform or uniform football team

Uniform = more aggressive in game than non-uniform

Question 7

The Faceless crowd

Answer 7

Mullen

Analysis of US lynching

The more people in mob = the greater the savagery with which they killed their victims

Question 8

Baiting crowd

Answer 8

Mann

Analysed 21 US suicide jumps

10 out of 21 suicide leaps where crowd had gathered to watch = baiting = occurred at night, large crowd + distance from jumper = high deindividuation

Question 9

Reduced private self-awareness

Answer 9

Reduced self-awareness = deindividuation

When submerged in group = lose their self-focus + become less privately self-aware + less able to regulate their own behaviour

Question 10

Deindividuation gender bias

Answer 10

M + F groups respond differently under deindividuation

M = increased aggression + disinhibition of aggression

M may be more prone to disinhibition of aggressive behaviour when deindividuated than F’s

Question 11

Lack of support for Deindividuation

Answer 11

Insufficient support for major claims of deindividuation theory

Postmes: found disinhibition + antisocial behaviour are not common in large groups