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    Examining The Mob Mentality

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    trivendradon
    When people are in a group, they often lose their sense of individual identity and self-awareness. This phenomenon, known as deindividuation, makes people less inhibited and more likely to engage in risky behaviors they would normally avoid. Large crowds and anonymity further exacerbate this effect by creating a diffusion of responsibility. According to the psychologist interviewed, mob mentalities are most likely to form in groups that are large, allow members to remain anonymous, and diffuse feelings of personal responsibility. Certain situations can also encourage mob-like behavior, such as when resources are scarce, people are surrounded by like-minded individuals, or strong emotions are aroused.

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    Examining The Mob Mentality

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    trivendradon
    596 views2 pages
    When people are in a group, they often lose their sense of individual identity and self-awareness. This phenomenon, known as deindividuation, makes people less inhibited and more likely to engage in risky behaviors they would normally avoid. Large crowds and anonymity further exacerbate this effect by creating a diffusion of responsibility. According to the psychologist interviewed, mob mentalities are most likely to form in groups that are large, allow members to remain anonymous, and diffuse feelings of personal responsibility. Certain situations can also encourage mob-like behavior, such as when resources are scarce, people are surrounded by like-minded individuals, or strong emotions are aroused.

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    Examining the Mob Mentality

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    When people are in a group, they often lose their sense of individual identity and self-awareness. This phenomenon, known as deindividuation, makes people less inhibited and more likely to engage in risky behaviors they would normally avoid. Large crowds and anonymity further exacerbate this effect by creating a diffusion of responsibility. According to the psychologist interviewed, mob mentalities are most likely to form in groups that are large, allow members to remain anonymous, and diffuse feelings of personal responsibility. Certain situations can also encourage mob-like behavior, such as when resources are scarce, people are surrounded by like-minded individuals, or strong emotions are aroused.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    596 views2 pages

    Examining The Mob Mentality

    Uploaded by

    trivendradon
    When people are in a group, they often lose their sense of individual identity and self-awareness. This phenomenon, known as deindividuation, makes people less inhibited and more likely to engage in risky behaviors they would normally avoid. Large crowds and anonymity further exacerbate this effect by creating a diffusion of responsibility. According to the psychologist interviewed, mob mentalities are most likely to form in groups that are large, allow members to remain anonymous, and diffuse feelings of personal responsibility. Certain situations can also encourage mob-like behavior, such as when resources are scarce, people are surrounded by like-minded individuals, or strong emotions are aroused.

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    EXAMINING THE MOB MENTALITY

    What is the psychology behind mob mentality?


    TAMARA AVANT, Psychology Program Director at South University (Savannah,
    Georgia): Social psychology does offer relevant explanations for group or mob
    mentality and violence. When people are part of a group, they often experience
    deindividuation, or a loss of self-awareness. When people deindividuate, they
    are less likely to follow normal restraints and inhibitions and more likely to lose
    their sense of individual identity. Groups can generate a sense of emotional
    excitement, which can lead to the provocation of behaviors that a person would
    not typically engage in if alone. Think about the last sporting event or concert
    you attended. Its unlikely that you would have been yelling or singing the way
    you were if you were the only person doing it! The group seems to make some
    behaviors acceptable that would not be acceptable otherwise.
    Deindividuation obviously does not occur every time people get together in a
    group, and there are some group characteristics that increase the likelihood of
    violence, such as group size and physical anonymity. First, many people believe
    they cannot be held responsible for violent behavior when part of a mob because
    they perceive the violent action as the groups (e.g., everyone was doing it)
    rather than their own behavior. When in a large group, people tend to
    experience a diffusion of responsibility. Typically, the bigger a mob, the more its
    members lose self-awareness and become willing to engage in dangerous
    behavior. Second, physical anonymity also leads to a person experiencing fewer
    social inhibitions. When people feel that their behavior cannot be traced back to
    them, they are more likely to break social norms and engage in violence.
    Are certain people more susceptible?
    TA: In general, we are all susceptible to participating in some group behavior,
    but researchers have found that certain situations and personality characteristics
    play a role. For example, people are more likely to engage in looting in dire
    situations, such as when resources were scarce after Hurricane Katrina.
    Adolescents who share antisocial tendencies and lack close family bonds are
    more likely to search for social identity in gangs. The greater individuals feel like
    they identify with a group, the greater the pressures for them to conform and
    deindividuate become.
    What types of situations lend themselves to mobs?
    TA: Group violence is most likely to occur when the group is large, people are
    able to remain anonymous, and people experience a diffusion of responsibility.
    Certain situations also play a role, such as when resources are scarce, we are
    surrounded by like-minded people, and/or when emotions are aroused.
    Donley, Megan. Examining the Mob Mentality. South Source: A Publication of South
    University. 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2012.

    deindividuate: to lose self-awareness of individuality


    inhibitions: self-consciousness that guides decisions

    provocation: the provoking of; the causing of

    diffusion: discarding of; decreasing of

    anonymity: freedom from being identified

    susceptible: able to be influenced by, easily affected

    Target: You can draw inferences and interpret what is not overtly or directly stated within the text.
    Directions: Read the article on the other side of this page. As you read consider how this relates to what we saw happen
    in Chapter 15 of To Kill a Mockingbirdspecifically how Scout was able to prevent a horrific event. Then, in the space
    below, write a paragraph which explains the connection you see. For maximum points, use text evidence both from the
    novel and from the article.

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