Group pressure

[Function]

Hello everyone

 

I was wondering if there was a name for this most cruel phenomenon:

When in a group, certain people won't think for themselves anymore and, because of group pressure (and wanting to fit in,) they accept the opinion of other members of that group and pretend like they follow that opinion, because of fear of being outcasted.

 

Thanks.

 

Function

Edited December 25, 2013 by Function

[Endy0816]

Mob mentality or peer pressure would probably fit.

[iNow]

Both the suggestions above are good ones. Another might be groupthink, but peer pressure is a more accurate fit with your scenario, IMO.

[Function]

Thanks. So, what Derren Brown has 'proven' in his "Game Show" is peer pressure? The de-individualisation of an 'individu' when brought into a group (most preferrably anonymous)

[iNow]

I'm not familiar with Darren Brown or his game show, but a quick google suggests that social scientists have a different interpretation of his work and that his claims of "deindividuation" have mostly been rejected by experts.

 

http://nirmukta.com/2011/11/07/derren-brown’s-‘crowd-experiment’-a-response-from-two-social-psychologists/

Brown stated during the episode and in a subsequent interview on his website that ‘deindividuation’ within crowds causes people to lose their identities and consequently behave in inevitably anti-social ways. Over thirty years of empirical work from the social identity tradition (for a review see Reicher, Spears, & Haslam, 2010) has discredited these claims.

 

This research has shown that rather than a loss of identity within crowds, there is a shift from personal to social levels of identification. Instead of acting in terms of the norms and behavioural limits of one’s personal identity, within a psychological crowd one therefore acts in coherence with the norms of one’s salient collective identity.

 

These norms will differ depending upon which social identity is salient at any given time, e.g. as a resident of a local community, supporter of a sports team, or as a member of an audience at a television recording. Crowd behaviour is therefore rooted in social context, such that individuals may even act more pro-socially in a crowd than they would do alone (see e.g. the non-violent resistance of Indian crowds in the face of colonial British rule, or within-crowd helping during emergencies).

 

<snip>

 

It is important to emphasise that we are not arguing that crowds are immune from anti-social behaviour; some of the very worst atrocities in history have been committed by crowds (e.g. religious pogroms, lynchings etc.). The point is that crowd behaviour is neither intrinsically good nor bad, but is dependent upon the norms of the shared social identity of its members.

There may not be a simple name for this human need to be coherent with the group around them. We see the same phenomenon in all social species. Those animals that rely on others to survive... that exist in packs or tribes that help one another... where fitting in and not offending group leaders or elders is critical to existence... to ensuring access to food and to mates and protection... It's better to go with the flow than to rock the boat.

 

There is a whole field of study about this... several, in fact. Look into Social Psychology and Group Dynamics and Crowd Psychology if you're interested in this space. It's a fascinating field.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_psychology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_dynamics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_psychology

Edited December 25, 2013 by iNow

[Function]

And now a more personal question: do you make yourself guilty at peer pressure?

[iNow]

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you asking if I ever feel guilty for giving in to peer pressure? If so, that's not generally a problem for me as I'm old enough to avoid such things in most cases. I don't always make the right choices in life, but IMO I rarely make the wrong ones due to pressure from others to do so.

[Function]

I'm asking anyone here if he/she is susceptible to peer pressure

[dimreepr]

When I'm in a group of friends I will sometimes choose not to argue when they start to get racist or xenophobic (mostly futile especially when their imbibing); that doesn't mean I would follow if they choose to act on those sentiments, I'd like to think I'd do all in my power to stop them.

 

 

Edit/ I very much doubt you'll find any member here that is susceptible.

Edited December 25, 2013 by dimreepr

[iNow]

I think everyone is susceptible to the pressures of a group. The question is probably to what extent that influences their choices and judgments.

[arc]

When I'm in a group of friends I will sometimes choose not to argue when they start to get racist or xenophobic (mostly futile especially when their imbibing); that doesn't mean I would follow if they choose to act on those sentiments, I'd like to think I'd do all in my power to stop them.

 

 

Edit/ I very much doubt you'll find any member here that is susceptible.

 

The need or desire for social acceptance, whether self imposed pressure or of the group, is in play in all human associations.

[Marshalscienceguy]

It would be peer pressure, sociology

[iNow]

Upon watching the video below, I realize a better word to fit here is "conformity." The video does a nice job sharing some of the research on the subject, and also helping to increase ones own awareness of the issue.

 

 

[Function]

Isn't mob mentality a cruel phenomenon