Aggression: Deindividuation

Not all aggression is interpersonal, i.e. carried out from one individual to another. Some aggression is carried out in groups and is impersonal. Violence and aggression has been found to be more likely to occur when people are immersed in a crowd. The process of being part of a crowd can cause deindividuation. Festinger (1952) coined the term ‘deindividuation’ suggesting there is a reduction of inner restraints of self-awareness where individuals are ‘submerged in a group’. Deindividuation has been used to explain violence in prisons, and also at sporting events where large numbers of people are in close proximity to each other.

In western society we have strong norms against violence and aggression. Our identity is based on our compliance with social norms. Under normal circumstances an awareness of social norms prevents behaviour that is aggressive and deviant. Individuals in public places generally carry out continual self-assessment of their behaviour to ensure compliance with social norms. However, when an individual becomes part of a crowd they become anonymous and lose their individualised sense of identity, thus loosening their normal inhibitions. The process of continual self-assessment is weakened as awareness of their individual identity is weakened. Individuals in groups do not see the consequences of any aggression and social norms that are normally followed are forgotten.

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