How might deindividuation theory explain the looting behaviour that sometimes accompanies crowd riots? What are the strengths and limitations of this kind of approach to understanding collective behaviour?
Part 1 of this essay topic should be 1300 words and 200 words should be Part 2 Reflexive comment

Write a brief reflexive comment reflecting on what you think social psychology is about and your expectations for the module.

Student notes for Part 1 1300 words

Key resources

The main resources for this assignment are:

Chapter 1 in Book 1 – In this chapter, you will find a detailed account of social psychological research on crowd behaviour, as well as discussion of a number of theoretical perspectives that might help to explain looting behaviour in crowds, including the deindividuation approach.
The podcast interview with Clifford Stott discussing his work on crowd behaviour is also a key resource. This podcast is on the DD307 website.
Chapter 2 in Book 1 – This chapter is useful in a more general sense. Its discussion of the four interrogative themes of DD307, for example, may help you to develop your evaluation of deindividuation theory and research.
Advice on completing the assignment

The main objective of this first TMA is to assess your ability to apply a general social psychological theory, deindividuation theory, in order to explain a particular form of behaviour, looting in crowd riots. What does this approach tell us about how, when and why looting occurs during events of collective behaviour? What does deindividuation theory take as its core concepts and assumptions and how might they shed light on looting? What evidence can be used to support a deindividuation account?

You are also required to critically evaluate this theory by considering its potential strengths and limitations as an explanation of crowd looting. In order to address this, you might contrast a deindividuation approach with the social identity approach on crowd behaviour developed by Reicher and colleagues. You might also analyse and evaluate deindividuation theories in light of the interrogative themes outlined by Hollway in Book 1, Chapter 2. How, for example, has work in the deindividuation tradition addressed (or failed to address) the role of power relations in conceptualising and understanding crowd behaviour? What assumptions does it make about the relationship between individual agency and social structure in the explanation of collective behaviour?

At this stage of the module, you are not expected to have a fully developed knowledge of the four main perspectives on social psychology covered in DD307 or to have acquired a sophisticated sense of the discipline’s key themes, tensions and debates. In particular, it will take time to become familiar with complex issues such as the four interrogative themes that run through the module and to hone your skills of using them in critical evaluation. The assignment will be graded bearing in mind these limitations.

Try to be selective in the material that you use (e.g. the key concepts, themes and research evidence) so that it helps you to best develop your argument. Strong essays will be clearly structured so that they start with an introduction that sets out the main ideas, concepts and debates and a clear statement about the argument that you will make. You should then progress to a main body that develops a step by step argument focused on the TMA topic, and end with a conclusion that summarises the key themes of that argument. You will need to plan your essay accordingly, bearing in mind the question and the overall word limit.

Remember that at third level, it is not enough simply to summarise module material. You are expected to develop a systematic argument that addresses the TMA topic. Notably, you should not only outline the key aspects of a deindividuation approach to crowd behaviour in general, but also discuss how it might help us to understand looting behaviour in particular. Similarly, you should develop your argument using research evidence, for example by referring to studies discussed in Book 1, Chapter 1 (e.g. laboratory research on the relationship between anonymity and aggression; field research such as the St Pauls study; and case material on behaviour during the English riots).

Finally, remember that the second aspect of Part 1 of the TMA requires you to evaluate the deindividuation account of crowd looting. This means you need to take a stance regarding its strengths and weaknesses. What can it explain and what can it not explain? Is the concept of deindividuation the best concept for understanding the psychological changes that crowds produce in individual members and that lead to behaviour such as looting? Can other theoretical approaches better account for collective behaviour such as looting?

Please note that your essay must be written in your own words and properly referenced.

Remember: It is essential that you read the information and guidance in Social Sciences Assessment Information and the Assessment Guidance specific to DD307. Failure to comply with the relevant guidance could result in the loss of marks and penalties to your studies.

Student notes for Part 2

For Part 2 of the essay you should write a reflexive comment of between 200 words in which you reflect on what you think social psychology is about and consider your own expectations of the module.

In thinking about your expectations you may wish to comment on your hopes and fears; on what you most look forward to or are not looking forward to. You may also want to offer a working idea of what you think social psychology contributes to psychology as a whole or to real world issues. Of course, you are completely free to focus on other things so long as they relate to your expectations of the module and what you think social psychology is.

Whatever you choose to write remember to keep it brief – and be spontaneous. No reading is required to complete this part of the TMA.

You should submit this part of the assignment together with Part 1 using the eTMA system. Make sure that it is clearly distinguished from Part 1, with a separate heading, so that your tutor knows which part to grade.

What you are being assessed on this essay is

Your knowledge of the main features of the deindividuation approach on crowd behaviour.
Your ability to ability to apply this approach in order to explain looting behaviour.
Your ability to evaluate this approach, weighing its strengths and weaknesses as an explanation of looting.
Your ability to draw on relevant research evidence from social psychology and make explicit why this evidence is relevant to your argument.
Your ability to use module materials to address the essay question in a clear, coherent fashion.
please use this book as the mean reference, Social Psychology Matters Book 1 by
Wendy Hollway, Helen Lucey, Ann Phoenix and Gail Lewis

 
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