There is a powerful scene in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird.Atticus Finch,a small town lawyer,is on the courthouse steps standing guard over Tom Robinson,an African-American prisoner who he is defending.A mob of townspeople and local farmers approaches the courthouse,demanding that Atticus turn over Robinson; they are intent on administering their own form of vigilante justice.Suddenly,Atticus's young daughter Scout steps forward.She doesn't understand what's about to happen,and begins to address people in the crowd,"Hey,Mr.Cunningham.How's your boy? I like Walter,but I haven't seen him in awhile." As Scout innocently addresses a number of individuals in the crowd,they begin to leave one-by-one,until the whole lynch mob is disbanded.This classic movie scene best illustrates which social psychological phenomenon?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scene illustrates deindividuation, where individuals in a group lose their sense of individual identity and, as a result, may engage in behaviors they typically wouldn't consider as individuals. Scout's personal address to Mr. Cunningham re-individualizes members of the mob, reminding them of their personal identities and moral values, which leads to the dissolution of the mob mentality.

There Is a Powerful Scene in the Classic Film to Kill