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examBoard: AQA
examType: GCSE
lessonTitle: Morality and Collective Behaviour
When people gather in groups, something interesting happens to their sense of right and wrong. The moral rules that guide our individual actions can shift dramatically when we become part of a crowd. This topic explores how being in a group affects our moral judgments and behaviour.
Key Definitions:
When alone, most people follow their personal moral compass. In groups, however, people often adopt the group's moral standards, which might be different from their own. This shift can lead to behaviours that individuals might not normally engage in when alone.
Group settings can change how we make moral decisions. We might feel less personally responsible for our actions, more anonymous and more influenced by what others around us are doing. This can lead to both more extreme positive actions (like heroism) and negative actions (like vandalism).
One of the most important concepts in understanding collective morality is deindividuation. This psychological state occurs when people become less self-aware and feel less individual responsibility because they're part of a group.
When people experience deindividuation, several changes can occur that impact their moral decisions:
People become less aware of their personal values and standards, focusing instead on the group's actions.
Feeling anonymous in a crowd can reduce concerns about being judged or punished for actions.
Responsibility for actions is spread across the group, making individuals feel less personally accountable.
In 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted his famous prison experiment at Stanford University. Students were randomly assigned to be either "guards" or "prisoners" in a simulated prison. The experiment had to be stopped early because the "guards" became increasingly cruel and abusive toward the "prisoners." This demonstrates how quickly ordinary people can change their moral behaviour when placed in a group situation with specific roles and reduced personal identity. The guards' uniforms and sunglasses contributed to their anonymity and deindividuation.
Collective behaviour can lead to both positive and negative moral outcomes. Understanding these different types helps us recognise how groups influence our actions.
Groups can inspire positive moral actions like volunteering, charitable giving and community support during crises. For example, communities often come together after natural disasters to help those affected, showing how collective behaviour can enhance moral actions.
Groups can also lead to harmful actions like rioting, looting, or bullying. These behaviours often occur when deindividuation combines with strong emotions and perceived anonymity. Football hooliganism is a classic example where individuals in a crowd engage in behaviour they might never consider when alone.
Edward Diener observed children's behaviour during Halloween trick-or-treating. Children who were anonymous (wearing masks and in groups) were more likely to take extra sweets when left unattended compared to children who were identified by name. This study demonstrates how anonymity in groups can reduce adherence to moral rules.
Gustave Le Bon proposed that crowds develop a "collective mind" where individual personality disappears. He suggested that crowds are more impulsive, irritable and suggestible, which can lead to both heroic actions and destructive behaviour. While some of his views are now considered outdated, his work highlighted how group settings can transform individual moral behaviour.
Social media platforms create virtual crowds where deindividuation can occur. Online pile-ons and cancel culture show how moral judgments can become extreme in digital group settings. The perceived anonymity of being behind a screen can lead people to make harsher moral judgments or engage in cyberbullying behaviour they wouldn't consider in face-to-face interactions. However, social media can also mobilise positive collective action like charity fundraising and awareness campaigns.
Strong leaders can guide collective moral behaviour in both positive and negative directions. Leaders establish norms that followers often adopt without question.
How information spreads through a group affects collective moral decisions. Rumours and misinformation can rapidly alter group behaviour.
Emotions spread quickly in groups, potentially overwhelming rational moral thinking. Fear, anger, or excitement can be "caught" from others in a crowd.
Understanding how collective behaviour affects morality allows us to develop strategies to prevent harmful outcomes:
When discussing morality and collective behaviour in your exam, remember to:
Being part of a group can significantly change how we make moral decisions. Through processes like deindividuation, diffusion of responsibility and emotional contagion, our normal moral compass can be altered. This can lead to both extraordinary acts of kindness and concerning antisocial behaviour.
Understanding these processes helps us recognise when we might be influenced by group dynamics and maintain our personal moral standards even in collective settings. It also helps psychologists and social scientists develop strategies to promote positive collective behaviour and prevent harmful actions in group situations.
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