Running Head: TWELVE ANGRY MEN MOVIE ANALYSIS

Twelve Angry Men Movie Analysis

McKay Jenkins
Salt Lake Community College

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Introduction
The essence of social psychology is that each of us are social animals. Through
evolutionary processes, we have eventually evolved into creatures with a very specialized skill
set for social situations that derive from our need for survival. Our ancestors lived together in
smaller groups. Because of this, it makes sense that we have evolved to have a specific skill set
dealing with group behavior. (Franzoi, 2016 pg. 326) As social animals, we are all susceptible to
the social influences of those around us. There are many influences that emerge in a group
setting. Psychologists have narrowed down these influences into three broader influence
categories including conformity, compliance, and obedience. (T. Hanson, Social Influence
Lecture)
In the 1957 film Twelve Angry Men, many of the principles of group behavior and social
influence are present. The film focuses on a group of twelve white, male jurors deliberating the
murder trial of a teenage boy who allegedly murdered his own father. When the deliberation
begins, they are told if there is any reasonable doubt that the boy committed the crime, they are
to vote not guilty. We also learn that if the boy is found guilty of the crime, it is a death sentence
for him. Initially, every juror votes guilty except for Juror 8. Although Juror 8 does not
necessarily believe the accused is innocent, he believes that it is their duty to fully discuss the
case and make an informed decision rather than a hasty one. As the film continues and we watch
the full deliberation of the case play out, many social influences and elements of group behavior
are present.

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Social Influence
The film is a unique perspective on social influence in that it shows a situation in which
the influence of others can be magnified in a high-stakes situation. Early on in the film, we see a
prime example of conformity amongst the jurors. When they begin their deliberation, an initial
vote is cast to see what the general opinion of the group is. When asked for a show of hands for
those who believe the accused is guilty, it is significant to note that not everybodys hand shoots
up at once. Some people immediately raise their hands and others take some time to observe
others before making a decision for themselves.
To conform is to avoid being deviant in a situation and that is exactly what these jurors
are doing. Luckily in this initial vote, Juror 8 has the confidence to not immediately vote guilty
just because everybody else is doing it. This shows the principle of anticonformity. Juror 8 isnt
necessarily going against the norm for attention or as a result of psychological reactance, rather
he fits the true definition of anticonformity by not letting social influences have an effect on his
decision. (Franzoi, 2016 pg. 292)
This scene is also a strong example of normative influence. Normative influence is
when we conform because we either want to gain a reward or avoid punishment. (T. Hanson,
Social Influence Lecture) When Juror 8 is the only one to make a vote for not guilty, one of the
other jurors exclaims there always has to be one. He is trying to use the power of normative
influence to persuade Juror 8 to vote guilty.
Informational influence is also abundant in this film. When the jurors cast their initial
vote towards the beginning of the film, normative influence is the strongest factor in the
situation. However, as the film continues, many of the jurors switch their vote to not guilty

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because of new information given or different perspectives presented by other jurors.
Informational influence is when we conform because we believe that others have more accurate
knowledge about a situation. (Franzoi, 2016 pg. 284)
As more and more evidence is presented on the side of the not guilty voting jurors, we
see more and more jurors switch their vote to not guilty based on the belief that their side has
more accurate information. People switch their vote when they learn things like the rare switch
blade knife used in the crime isnt as rare as they initially thought when Juror 8 pulls a similar
knife from his coat pocket. We also see several people switch their vote when the group
questions the validity of the eyewitness because of her probable lack of glasses at that hour.
Each time new evidence is presented and jurors switch their vote, this is an example of
informational influence.
Group Behavior
This film not only shows how a group situation affects the individual, but also shows the
collective behavior of the group. Several scenes highlight different principles of group behavior.
One principle I saw throughout the film is social loafing. As stated before, eleven of the twelve
jurors vote guilty at the beginning of the deliberation process. Yet, when many of them are
questioned to explain their reasoning, they have a very weak argument or little understanding of
the facts and circumstances. Social loafing is characterized by an individual reducing their effort
because of their membership in a group and lack of individual judgment of effort. (Franzoi, 2016
pg. 339)
This is especially apparent in Juror 7 who has tickets to the Yankees game later that night.
He wants a quick and easy deliberation so he can get out quickly and not miss the game. He

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wants the easy way out and therefore votes with the majority. Since he isnt putting much effort
towards actually understanding the case, this could be considered social loafing. Towards the
middle of the deliberation, Juror 7 ends up switching to the not guilty side of the argument
because he actually starts becoming engaged in the discussion and wanting to understand.
Being in a group can also affect the way you are able to perform. The presence of others
can make performing a difficult task even more difficult. However, the presence of others can
make us more efficient when performing mundane, easy tasks. (T. Hanson, Group Behavior
Lecture) This is known as social facilitation. There are a few explanations as to why this occurs.
A possible reason could be the evaluation-apprehension explanation. The evaluationapprehension explanation is a theory as to why social facilitation occurs. The theory states that
when people view others in a group as evaluators of the task they are performing, they develop
evaluator apprehension and therefore perform worse on the task than they would have if those
evaluators were not present. (Franzoi, 2016 pg. 338)
Evaluation-apprehension is shown in a scene involving Juror 2. Towards the beginning of
the deliberation, he is ganged up on by many members of the jury. When asked to explain his
reasoning, he has a very hard time explaining why he feels the way he feels. Later in the film,
we see that he is a very smart man who has a thorough understanding of what is happening.
Evaluation-apprehension could be the explanation for his inability to adequately present his
argument at the beginning of the deliberation. Since he viewed the other jurors as evaluators, he
developed evaluator apprehension and his ability to perform lacked because of it. This is a
perfect example of social facilitation and the evaluation-apprehension explanation.

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The most prominent principle of group behavior that is seen in the film is that of group
polarization. Group polarization is when group discussion leads to the already dominant
viewpoint becoming even stronger because of that discussion. (Franzoi, 2016 pg. 350) Group
polarization can be a dangerous thing, as we see in the film. Because they are the jurors for a
capital punishment case, their decision is a life or death situation for another. When the stakes
are that high, group polarization can be a scary thing. Risky shift can occur which is when
people make more daring or rash decisions because they are the member of a group making that
decision. (T. Hanson, Group Behavior Lecture)
Group polarization is seen several times throughout the film. As we see in the initial
discussion of the group, group polarization occurs right off the bat when those who were
thinking the boy was guilty form an even stronger opinion due to their discussion with group
members who have the same opinion. If Juror 8 had never spoken out, the group of jurors could
have been defined as having groupthink, a more intense form of group polarization where the
desire for a group to reach a consensus causes them to not think clearly or logically. (T. Hanson,
Group Behavior Lecture) The group of jurors was definitely headed in that direction, but it takes
just one member of the group challenging the majorities opinion for it to stop. This is exactly
what Juror 8 did.
Conclusion
Everybody at one point or another has been in a situation where they have been affected
by group behavior or various social influences. Group membership has several advantages.
Through groups, we can accomplish instrumental tasks, satisfy our affiliation needs, and gain
new perspectives from others. Being the member of a group is an essential part of our

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evolutionary heritage. (Franzoi, 2016 pg. 327) However, we must be cautious to watch out for
warning signs of groupthink. Like Juror 8, we must always be cautious when in group situations.
Especially those situations where the group is making a decision in which many have strong
opinions.
It is not bad for an entire group to agree, but it is important that they have first considered
the argument of the other side before forming their opinion. Social influences are strong and our
conformity to a group often happens subconsciously and unnoticed by us. It is important for us to
recognize these social influences and make decisions for ourselves, rather than form our opinions
based on the dynamics of the group we are a part of.

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References
Franzoi, S. (2016). Social Psychology (7th Ed.). Redding, CA: PVT
Hanson, T. (2016, October 18) Lecture- Social Influence
Hanson, T. (2016, October 25) Lecture- Group Behavior