Deindividuation
Definition
Deindividuation is losing self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
Analogy
Consider being at a concert where everyone starts jumping up and down. Even though you normally wouldn't jump around like this alone, you join in because you're part of a large, anonymous crowd. That's deindividuation!
Related terms
Social Loafing: The tendency for people to put less effort into a simple task when working with others on that task.
Anonymity: The state of being not identifiable within a group—a condition that can promote deindividuation.
Bystander Effect: A social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present.
"Deindividuation" appears in:
Practice Questions (6)
How does the Stanford Prison Experiment exemplify the concept of deindividuation from social psychology?
In what way can deindividuation contribute to aggressive behavior within groups?
Which statement most accurately defines deindividuation?
How has our understanding of Deindividuation changed over time?
Why might deindividuation ethically problematic in social psychology experiments?
How might deindividuation contribute to mob behavior?
Resources
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