Topic seven: The theory of deindividuation

What is deindividuation?

When individuals have a sense of anonymity by becoming part of a crowd or identifying with a particular role

What increases the feeling of deindividuation?

Wearing a uniform or mask

What does deindividuation result in?

Individual not feeling responsible for their actions, a reduction in private self-awareness sense of self

Can lead to aggression

What did LeBon (1895) suggest?

Individuals more likely to behave aggressively when part of large anonymous group, as they are deindividuated

Feel less identifiable in a group, collective mind-set created, shared responsibility reduces individual guilt

What were the findings of Dodd (1985)?

Antisocial responses given to ‘invisibility task’ was 37%

The same % was given by inmates at a maximum security prison

How did Deiner (1980) develop the theory?

It occurs when self-awareness is blocked

What are the critical factors of deindividuation according to Deiner (1980)?

Strong feelings of group membership

Increased levels of arousal

Focus on external events

Feeling of anonymity

What do the critical factors of deindividuation according to Deiner (1980) lead to?

Reduced self-awareness, and then deindividuation

What did Prentice-Dunn and Rogers (1982) draw a distinguishment between?

Public self-awareness and private self-awareness

What is public self-awareness?

Concern over impression of self you are presenting to others when you’re aware of being judged

What is private self-awareness?

Sense of self, consisting of thoughts, feelings, values, and internal standards of behaviour

Evaluate the theory of deindividuation

Research support - Douglas and McGarty

Research support - Zimbardo

Research support - Dodd

Outline the findings of Douglas and McGarty

Positive correlation between online anonymity and sending threating messages

Supports idea that, behind a mask, people are more aggressive

Outline the findings of Zimbardo

Prison study found many of the guards acted very aggressively towards prisoners

Supports idea that, when given a uniform, aggression increases to fit a certain role

Outline the findings of Dodd

36% anti-social responses to the ‘invisibility’ task, compared to only 9% were pro-social

Supports the idea that, when non-identifiable, aggression increases