Originally conceptualized by Festinger in the 1950s, deindividuation occurs when individuals become immersed in a group culture which forsakes individual choice and responsibility (Colman, 2009). Deinidividuation is related to the bystander effect and group think, which are both concepts that relate to the behaviours of individuals in groups.
Individuals may behave in ways that are different from accepted norms in society such as behaving in overly aggressive manner. Psychologists theorise that deindividuation results in part from the anonymity and ability to diffuse responsibility that is offered by being part of a group.
Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects
The Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects or SIDE model (Spears and Lea, 1994) notes that deindividuation results from group immersion, anonymity and a decrease in personal responsibility. Immersion in a group can lead to group members adopting behaviors that are encouraged by the group but may be anti-normative.
Zimbardo’s famous Stanford Prison Experiment is an example of the deindividuation process taking place. During the experiment, subjects assigned to the prison guard group behaved aggressively towards prisoner group members, which Zimbardo attributed to the fact that the guards were given uniforms which assisted anonymity and were able to diffuse responsibility for their actions. Subjects in the prisoner group also behaved in ways which suggested the subjects had undergone deindividuation.
The hooliganism of a section of England football fans in the 1980s is an example of deindividuation in society. The process of deindividuation through immersion in football hooliganism is shown in the film, I.D. (1995) where an undercover police officer investigating hooligans becomes, through immersion in the hooligan group, a hooligan himself.
Disinhibited Behavior In Online Settings May Result From Deindividuation
Michinov, Michinov and Toczek-Capelle (2004) found evidence of deindividuation occurring amongst pre-pubescent learners placed in an online group learning situation. The ability to be anonymous when interacting in online environments may result in increased disinhibited behaviour as a result of the process of deindividuation.
Chiou (2006) surveying Taiwanese teenagers found that as anonymity increased, preparedness to disclose details of sexual experiences increased; Chiou surmised that the process of deindividuation may have played a role in the disclosure.
Deindividuation is a process by which an individual is no longer seen in their own right but rather as a member of a group. The process of deindividuation may cause individuals to behave in anti-normative ways due to a combination of immersion in the group, anonymity and diffusion of responsibility. Zimbardo’s famous Stanford Prison Experiment is an example of the deindividuation process.
Sources:
Chiou, W., (2006), "Adolescents’ sexual self-disclosure on the internet: deindividuation and impression management" in Adolescence, Fall 2006, Vol 41 Iss 163, pp547-561.
Haney, C., Banks, C. & Zimbardo, P. (1973), "Interpersonal dynamics in a simulated prison" in International Journal of Criminology and Penology, Vol 1, pp69-97.
Michinov, N., Michinov, E., & Toczek-Capelle, M. (2004) "Social identity, group processes and performance in synchronous computer-mediated communiciation" in Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice Vol 8 No 1, pp 27-39.
Spears, R. & Lea, M. (1994). "Panacea or panopticon? The hidden power in computer-mediated communication" in Communication Research Vol 21 Iss 4, pp 427-459.
"deindividuation n." in A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.
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