"The Lottery" and the Psychology of the Individual in a Group

This essay responds to the concept of how individuals behave in groups, largely dictated by "diffusion of responsibility" and a fear of ridicule, defined by Carol Tavris ("in groups we shrink"). The student finds examples of this behavior in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and the Rodney King beating video.

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Bridget's feedback:

"Your chosen texts, including using the news, help illustrate the scale of the behavior. I'd like to check what your prompt and/or purpose are in this essay, as the current draft makes this a little hard to pin down. Is it the broader idea of group behavior? Is it Tavris' book? Jackson's story? The Rodney King video? These come together in productive ways, but you can guide the reader a little more firmly into how they encounter each source by signposting the central conceit in the introduction. Check your prompt to see what should be emphasized first.

In terms of lower-order concerns, proofread to catch errors, including comma usage and typos. Make sure, as well, to properly format titles. Doing so lets the reader immediately see what kind of source you are introducing."

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In-text citation:

(Kibin, 2026)

Reference list entry:

Kibin. (2026). "the lottery" and the psychology of the individual in a group. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-main-focus-of-in-groups-we-shrink-to-the-aggregation-of-a-large-number-of-people-Ihtv5QSm

Be sure to capitalize proper nouns (e.g. Egypt) and titles (e.g. Macbeth) in the essay title portion of your citation.

In-text citation:

(""The Lottery" and the Psychology of the Individual in a Group.")

Works Cited entry:

""The Lottery" and the Psychology of the Individual in a Group." Kibin, 2026, www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-main-focus-of-in-groups-we-shrink-to-the-aggregation-of-a-large-number-of-people-Ihtv5QSm

Footnote:

1. ""The Lottery" and the Psychology of the Individual in a Group." Kibin, 2026. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-main-focus-of-in-groups-we-shrink-to-the-aggregation-of-a-large-number-of-people-Ihtv5QSm.

Bibliography entry:

""The Lottery" and the Psychology of the Individual in a Group." Kibin, 2026. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-main-focus-of-in-groups-we-shrink-to-the-aggregation-of-a-large-number-of-people-Ihtv5QSm.