Extreme Deindividuation in the Laboratory

One cause of violent or wildly celebratory behavior in groups is deindividuation. The present study addresses two issues of concern to recent deindividuation researchers: (1) the investigation of a more extreme form of deindividuation than that customarily used in prior research and (2) the accurate assessment of the composition of the subjective deindividuated state. In the initial study, a manipulation of extreme deindividuation was developed in a context conducive to collective aggression. Subjects exposed to the extreme condition responded with significantly greater shock intensities and shock durations than those observed in previous research. In the second study, the self-reports of 91 subjects exposed to the extreme deindividuation condition were factor analyzed, revealing a subjective deindividuated state composed of Altered Experience and Private Self-Awareness. A path analysis indicated a possible causal role for Private Self-Awareness, but not Altered Experience, in producing aggression. Results were discussed in terms of a revised formulation of the deindividuation construct. In addition, several questions warranting further research were advanced.