One of the most important impacts of social groups is deindividuation which conceptualized as “a state in which inner restraints are lost when ‘individuals are not seen or paid attention to as individuals’” by Festinger, Pepitone, and Newcomb. (Diener, 1976). Early theories indicate that deindividuation is totally psychological situation which appears with group behaviors and actions. However there are some uncertain points about what the reasons have effect in order to show up the feeling of deindividuation. Therefore some vital variables such as group-size, anonymity, self-awareness, and disinhibition are researched. However, there is not any totally supported explanation about deindividuation theory yet (Diener, 1976, 1979; Goldberg & Jaffre, 1982; Jorgenson & Dukes, 1976; Postmes & Spears, 1998).
This paper will discuss the variables like deindividuation, group-size and self-awareness which are researched by different researchers and their relationship with anonymity in group behaviors.
The idea of deindividuation is put forward by LeBon in 1900’s. According to LeBon, when men are in crowd action, they become mindless and irresponsible. Anonymity, suggestibility and contagion’s psychological mechanisms together cause “psychological crowd”, in this crowd, individuals surrender to collective mind. After this idea is created by…
