Herds and Mobs

Question 1

What is a group?

Answer 1

linked individuals that rely on each other to a specific degree (connection and dependence)
- thoughts and actions combine - group emerges from this

Question 2

Define herd mentality

Answer 2

• conformity; YOU become the group, you’re not just part of it (crowd movement, protests, stock trading)

Question 3

Give Dyer’s (2008) research into herd mentality

Answer 3

• 200 volunteers
• randomly walk around, no talking
• 10 confederates walked in specific directions and patterns
• people blindly followed without even knowing
• only takes 5% of confident people to influence the 95% of the others

Question 4

how did Zimmerman (2018) research herd mentality?

Answer 4

• 2 conditions; perform action synchronously or asynchronous in a dance club
• no meanings just movements
• asked how much they liked/ affiliated with the others in the group (a measurement of how closely they sat near each other)
• synchronous condition; positive correlation with how much they liked each other (negative correlation with distance apart)

Question 5

What is positive herding online and give a study?

Answer 5

• identification with a group, so sharing the values
• online commentary and liking, endorsing the behaviour
• valuing behaviour (and others follow)
• Person posted something on reddit; upvotes, downvotes or nothing
• community of signally
• initially upvoted - 32% more likely to get more upvotes
• artificially positively rated, 25% high average
• formation of Echochambers online; retweeting within (online grouping) - black twitter

Question 6

What is a mob mentality?

Answer 6

• negative consequences of herd mentality

- group emerges; more likely to be aggressive and violent in anonymous groups/settings (LE BON)

Question 7

Define deindividuation

Answer 7

• anonymity - losing personal identity which increases violence and impulsivity = loss of self-awareness, thus less responsibility and disinhibited behaviours
• the larger the group, more deindividuation, less accountability
• enhanced by masks, uniform, darkness (decreases self)

Question 8

Describe Diener (1976) research into deindividuation

Answer 8

• recorded behaviour of 1,000 trick or treaters (negative characters)
• asked 1/2 children their names
• candy/coins on the table and the researcher left
• deindividuation encourages stealing (more likely in groups)
• those who gave their names were less likely to steal

However ; deindividuation doesn’t always lead to aggression - Gregam and 8 strangers - darkness causes intimacy
OR prosocial behaviour - Johnson and Downing - nurses costumes

Question 9

What is a group decision making?

Answer 9

• if the problem is precise and factual - group is better (pooling knowledge)
• maintaining group cohesiveness

Question 10

What is groupthink?

Answer 10

• ignoring facts and personal opinions in order to maintain group cohesiveness and solidarity (Vietnam)

Question 11

Give a real life example of groupthink

Answer 11

• 1961
• JFK, Bay of PIgs (cold war)
• Cuba issues
• JFK approved a covert invasion at the Bay of Pigs with poorly trained exiles
• died and surrendered
• blind plan - “perfect failure” and his advisors did mot challenge his plans

IRVING JANIS (1971)

• groupthink situation; high stakes, directive leader with strong views and group is cohesive
• ignoring challenges and members want solidarity

Question 12

Give symptoms of groupthink

Answer 12

• illusion of invincibility, collective rationalisation, stereotypes of outgroups, illusion of unanimity
• style of decision making where they uphold solidarity
• self-censorship: withholding unpopular, controversial things (don’t want to reduce morale) - censor each other
• failure to share insights = HORRIBLE, INCOMPLETE decisions

Question 13

Give outcomes of groupthink

Answer 13

• poor information
• biased results and actions
• failure to examine risks
• failure to work out contingency plans

Question 14

How can we prevent groupthink?

Answer 14

1) impartiality of leader - don’t make opinions known so people won’t try to please
2) members must look at alternatives - designate devil’s advocate, get feedback from outsiders (promote correctness)
3) create subgroups - separate decisions
4) anonymous opinion

Question 15

What is Bystander Intervention?

Answer 15

• presence of others, people observing intervene to help
• more people around, less likely to help (as you believe others will)
• Kitty Genovese - 38 people watching - saw each other and all thought someone else would help (bystander effect)

Question 16

Why does the Bystander Effect occur?

Answer 16

Diffusion of responsibility

• emergency and in ‘group’ - ambiguous leadership
• assume others will help and more people = less individual responsibility

Pluralistic Ignorance

• emergency, if no one else is concerned, collective ignorance
• assume everything is fine so no one intervenes
• ignorance of true norms
• finding appropriate responses and finding cues

Question 17

Give evidence diffusion of responsibility

Answer 17

Darley and Latane (1968)
- ppts in cubicles through intercom
- 1-5 people 
- confed pretends to have a seizure ("someone help")
- likelihood of calling ambulance increased with smaller group size
1 person = 85% helped
3 people = 62% helped 
6 people = 31% helped

due to hesitancy

Question 18

Give evidence for pluralisitic ignorance

Answer 18

• tendency to misperceive social norm

Latane and Darley (1968)

• ppts filled out stack of Qs alone or with 2 real ppts or 2 confeds (that acted calmly)
• smoke fills room
• alone = 75% leave and report
• 2 real = 38% leave and report
• 2 calm confed = 10% leave and report
• looked and learned from others, construed situation as non-threatening due to informational/ignorance