Mob Mentality

Last week I wrote about the four young people who tortured a special needs man and created a Facebook Live video of it in Chicago. The article was titled “Are We Raising a Generation of Sociopaths?” The answer for many is yes. Society can contribute to why a person takes on antisocial tendencies. In that article I stated that half of the cause of sociopathy is inherited. The other half is a mix of environmental factors. One such environmental factor is group dynamics. The study of group dynamics helps us understand how people can be influenced to commit acts of terror.

What are the odds that you would find four people who would agree to commit such a heinous crime? Apparently, it is not unusual for groups of people to reinforce each other in a negative direction.

We all have an individual identity and a social identity. Our personal identity is defined by our individual qualities and attributes. Social identity is defined by group membership and satisfies our need to belong. We naturally compare our group to other groups. However, we don’t always make objective comparisons. As a result, we tend to view our group as better and we emphasize the positive qualities of our own group. Individuals tend to show favoritism toward their own group, and make negative reactions toward other groups. This can result in prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination. Being in a group, makes some people lose touch with their personal moral beliefs, particularly when there is an “us” versus “them.”

Social psychologist Kurt Lewin coined the term “group dynamics” to describe the positive and negative forces within groups of people. Individual behaviors are influenced by the presence of others. Groups can change individual members by prompting them to change their attitudes and values to the consensus of the group. When individuals are members of a group they sometimes engage in behaviors that they would never engage in if they were acting individually. This type of influence can be useful in the context of work and sports but the influence of groups can also create extremely negative behaviors such as what occurred in the Holocaust and Rwanda.

Dr. Wendy James, PhD, made an interesting analogy. “One dog may bark at you but it’s more likely that a pack will attack you.” Similar to dogs operating in a pack, human society is organized by herd behavior. Our instincts are heightened by group influences. We lose control of our usual inhibitions and take on aspects of a group mind. This can lead to a mob mentality. The larger the group, the greater the amplification of that group behavior. If the group behavior is violent, the larger the group the more magnified the violence. If the group behavior is non-violent, the more magnified is peace and order.

Many people believe they are not responsible for violent behavior when part of a mob because “everyone was doing it.” When in a group, people tend to lose self-awareness and are more willing to engage in dangerous behavior. When they believe that their behavior cannot be traced back to them, they are more likely to break social norms.

So what’s the lesson here? Maintain your best judgment and use reason when involving yourself in groups. Consider whether the group’s behavior aligns with your personal values. A healthy use of group dynamics is to participate in groups to influence people or policies in a pro-social direction such as marathons and political action groups. Be mindful of creating positive change.