Download GROUP DISPLAYS OF AGGRESSION File

Aggression as an adaptive
response
Group display of aggression in humans
Learning objectives
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Understand the nature of group display
in humans
Understand psychologists’ attempts to
explain group display in humans
Be able to apply the notions of group
display to specific examples of crowd
behaviour.
Variety of theories
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Sociologists
focus on the
media
Psychologists
focus on the
people in the
group.
Freud
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Individual mindset
differs when in a
crowd
Merging of minds
Based on same
opinion
Enthusiasm
reduces
inhibitions
Evaluation of Freud
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Freud provided a very early contribution
to the analysis of group behaviour.
It has provided other researchers with a
foundation for their own study.
Methodological flaws
Did not follow the principles of science
(the hypothetico-deductive method).
Le Bon (1896)
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Pathological viewpoint
Crowd behaviour = the result of individual’s
personalities.
Group ‘contagion’
‘Collective mind’.
Group members are suggestible
Take on the views of the group and imitate
‘group mind’
Evaluation of Le Bon
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Freud criticised Le Bon’s idea that the group had
a soul of its own.
Freud emphasised the group having
identification with a leader.
Others criticise because many crowds do not
take on a ‘life of their own’ which is different to
the individuals who comprise the group.
In contrast, as Smelser suggests, specific
conditions and situations may be found to be
responsible for the behaviour.
Blumer (1939)
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Developed Le Bon
Circular reaction –
Individual reproduce the behaviours and
emotions of others around them
Subsequently intensifies or amplifies
original emotion and behaviour.
Explains social unrest
Convergence theory
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Motive behind group
behaviour is
Convergence on a
specific location by
like-minded
individuals with
Similar points of view
E.g. a football crowd.
Evaluation of convergence
theory
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Focuses on how individuals are rational
and the behaviour of like-minded people
is rational when they come together.
Contrasts with Le Bon who is more
concerned with irrational forces.
Emergent norm theory
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Turner and Killan (1957) developed the Convergence theory
Crowd behaviour is ‘normless’.
The situation is unique
People look to see what others are doing
Base behaviour on that
One person with distinctive behaviour will get attention
this person’s behaviour stands out and gets attention.
Taken on as a norm for the group.
Crowds are not a passive group of people.
They are a logical mass of individuals
This helps to explain the unpredictability of a group.
Evaluation of Emergent norm
theory
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It doesn’t explain exactly how the norms
emerge.
Not all crowd scenarios can be explained,
e.g. Berk (1974) behaviour that looks
irrational (e.g. running out of a building)
may not be, (the building is on fire).
Doesn’t take into account non-verbal
processes in crowds.
Value-added theory
(Social strain theory in Sociology)
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Neil Smelser (1963)
Prerequisites needed
(situations/conditions) for social
movement to develop.
6 stages
Stage 1
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Structural
conduciveness
Social situation and
conditions must allow
for collective action.
Stage 2
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Structural strain
Some parts of the social system do not
function effectively.
Stage 3
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Growth and spread of generalised belief.
Shared view assigns causes and
determines a response or action.
Stage 4
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Precipitating factors
Collective belief is strengthened, the
search for alternatives gathers pace.
Stage 5
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Mobilising the collective for action.
Leaders and workers emerge.
Hierarchy of order is established.
Stage 6
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Reaction of agencies of social control.
Agencies of social control attempt to
interfere with the operation of the
collective.
Value-added theory explained
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Smelser argues
Social life and processes we follow in it affect individual
behaviour.
If society is not well regulated this might change an
individual’s view on appropriate behaviour.
Individual assesses his or her own needs
If society offers incentives and rewards that interest the
individual, they may be set out to achieve the goal
regardless of how.
Self-interest and preservation becomes more important
than others.
Evaluation of value-added
theory
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Mixed reception
Logical theory
Some think it overlooks complexities of crowd
behaviour
Evans (1969) and Marx (1972) like its positive
nature compared with other models, e.g.
contagion theory is irrational and negative.
But it’s hard to test (Berk, 1974)
Smelser
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A sociologist from the university of
California
His theory is based on his own ‘western
industrialised, educational and socioeconomic background.
Ethnocentric.
Berk (1974)
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Problems with research on crowd events:
Great speed
Difficult to anticipate
Happen several at a time
Sometimes over a large geographic area
Processes leave few traces
Difficult to interview members during the process
Frequently produce unreliable accounts
Risk of injury to observer.
Sports
crowds
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Hockling (1982)
Observed a basketball game.
Booing responses to referee
decisions (explained by
contagion theory)
Standing up for national
anthem (explained by
emergent norms.
Different behaviour in same
crowd explained by different
theories.
Guttman (1986)
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There is no single theory appropriate to
explain the behaviour and violence of
sports crowds.
Lynch mobs
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Various
explanations for
lynchings of black
people.
Keeps white
control
Ensures status
differences
continue
Keeps ‘them’ in
their place.
Exerts
supremacy.
Political purpose
dehumanises
Zimbardo (2007)
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Dehumanisation is crucial to
understanding ‘man’s inhumanity to
man’.
Torture and murder is legitimised.
Erving Goffman’s ‘symbolic interactionalism’
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People behave in a way that is influenced
by their interaction with and
interpretation of others.
If people are discredited (stigmatised) it
becomes possible for the morally upright
to perform acts of ‘destructive cruelty’.
This explains many acts of cruelty
including Abu Ghraib.
Cassidy et al.
(2007)
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Investigated the Mela –
A month-long Hindu festival in India
Largest gathering of people on earth (over 50 million
attended in 2007)
Crowds behaved well
Increased generosity
Orderly behaviour.
Common identity and close proximity
Crowds need not always lead to aggressive behaviour.
Ethical issue
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Is it okay to observe such a gathering
without the consent of those being
observed?