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A02: Deindividuation Theory
Diener et al (1976)
observed 1300 trick-ortreating children on
Halloween night. When
they wore costumes which
prevented them from
being recognised and went
from house to house in
large groups, they were
more likely to steal money
and sweets. This evidence
therefore indicates that
the theory has external
validity as the effects of
deindividuation are not
just observed within
experimental situations.
Zimbardo (1969) found
that female participants
were more likely to deliver
electric shocks of a much
higher voltage to another
‘student’ when wearing
hoods that hid their faces
and when their names
were hidden from the
‘student.’
It could be argued that the
theory is oversimplistic as
there are other theories
that can also explain
human aggression. For
example the biological
approach – genetics,
hormones, and
neurotransmitters can
influence aggression.
A weakness of
deindividuation theory is
that it appears to be
gender biased in that it
does not acknowledge
that men and women may
differ in their aggressive
behaviour. Diener also
found that males were far
more likely to be behave
aggressively under
deindividuation conditions
than females. Therefore it
is important to consider
factors that could account
for this difference in
aggression.
Deindividuation is a
situational explanation of
aggression – it does not
account for individual
differences such as
personality and previous
experiences. It just
assumes that all human
beings in the same
situation would behave
aggressively if
deindividuated.
Deindividuation theory
lacks validity as it is based
on evidence (Zimbardo,
1971) conducted under
controlled laboratory
conditions (in an artificial
environment). Therefore
we must be cautious when
generalising the findings
on aggressive behaviour
from the laboratory to
real-life. This is because
PTs were asked to perform
actions that were
unfamiliar or unlikely to
happen in their everyday
life.
However Rehm (1987)
conducted research into
real-life displays of
aggression shown by 11
year olds in sport where
only half the players in
each team wore a
uniform. Rehm found that
the uniformed players
displayed more aggressive
acts than the nonuniformed. This evidence
therefore suggests that
deindividuation theory can
explain aggressive
behaviour in real-life.
Zimbardo’s research found Lorenz argued that
that ordinary, wellaggression serves an
balanced people could be important function in
turned into tyrannical
terms of individual survival
guards or cowering
and procreation potential.
prisoners simply because
Humans must compete for
of the fact that they were resources and so are
deindividuated in a social
programmed for
situation.
aggression by their basic
nature.
A02: Deindividuation Theory