deindividuation

British  

/ diːˌɪndɪvɪdjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. psychol the loss of a person's sense of individuality and personal responsibility

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Example Sentences

The fear that the Soviets will assimilate us is also a fear that our nightmare vision of Soviet deindividuation is, in fact, simply a reflection of our own culture.

From The Verge • Jul. 8, 2019

In fact, when you look at Zimbardo’s description of conditions that contribute to a sense of deindividuation, it basically reads like a list of everyday road conditions.

From Slate • May 28, 2015

Jerome Singer, a cognitive psychologist who pioneered the study of emotion, calls the process by which people lose themselves in their external surroundings deindividuation, a term borrowed from the social psychologist Leon Festinger.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 3, 2014

“You lose self-awareness,” she continued, referring to one interpretation of a psychological theory known as deindividuation, “and it’s been shown to lessen rationality.”

From New York Times • Sep. 25, 2014

Observers often cite the psychological theory called deindividuation, which argues people literally lose themselves when granted anonymity.

From Forbes • Oct. 15, 2012