Describe and Evaluate Social Explanations of Aggression.
Deindividuation theory seeks to provide an explanation for a variety of antinormative collective behavior, such as violent crowds, lynch mobs, etc. Deindividuation theory has also been applied to genocide and been posited as an explanation for antinormative behavior online and in computer-mediated communications.
Deindividuation as person moves into a group results in a loss of individual identity and a gaining of the social identity of the group. When two groups argue (and crowd problems are often between groups), it is like two people arguing. The three most important factors for deindividuation in a group of people are.
These study notes cover the core topics relating to Aggression for A Level Psychology. Core Topics Revision Flashcards for AQA A Level Psychology SKU: 03-4130-30001-03.
This supports the deindividuation theory as the costumes hide the identity of the children therefore making them anonymous this suggests that deindividuation does cause aggression. The study has a large sample as there were 1300 children in the study this means that the findings of the study is generalisable hence the children are more likely to be aggressive in groups or when anonymous.
Purpose of the Study. Zimbardo and his colleagues (1973) were interested in finding out whether the brutality reported among guards in American prisons was due to the sadistic personalities of the guards (i.e., dispositional) or had more to do with the prison environment (i.e., situational).
Attribution theory is the theory of how individuals explain others’ behaviors (Myers, 2008). Deindividuation is the situation where anti-normative behavior is released in groups in which individuals are not recognized as individuals (Festinger, 1952). Many people are a part of this deindividuation process and don’t even realize it.
Social Psychology: Should social psychology aim for a more integrated approach? Social psychology is the scientific study of how we affect each other by anything from what we say or do, to the simple act of our presence. From this descriptions it is clear how social psychology is often seen to overlap with sociology and indeed explains why many of its roots are there.