Database results:
examBoard: AQA
examType: GCSE
lessonTitle: Review and Practice - Collective Behaviour
Collective behaviour refers to how people think, feel and act when they're part of a group or crowd. It's fascinating because people often behave differently in crowds than they would on their own!
Key Definitions:
Casual crowds: People who happen to be in the same place (like shoppers in a mall)
Conventional crowds: People gathered for a specific planned event (like a concert audience)
Expressive crowds: People gathered to express emotion (like at a football match)
Acting crowds: People engaged in unusual or extreme behaviour (like riots or protests)
Spontaneous: Often emerges without planning
Temporary: Usually doesn't last long
Unusual: People may act differently than normal
Emotional: Often driven by strong feelings
Contagious: Behaviours and emotions spread quickly
Not all crowd behaviour is negative! Crowds can be forces for good or for harm, depending on the circumstances.
Pro-social collective behaviour involves crowds acting in positive, helpful ways that benefit others or society.
Examples:
Anti-social collective behaviour involves crowds acting in negative, harmful, or destructive ways.
Examples:
Psychologists have developed several theories to explain why people behave differently in crowds:
When in a crowd, people can become anonymous and lose their sense of individual identity. This can reduce self-awareness and personal responsibility, making people more likely to act impulsively or break social norms.
Key factors: Anonymity, reduced accountability, group size
People adopt the identity of the group they're in, taking on its norms and values. Their behaviour becomes guided by what they believe is appropriate for a member of that group.
Key factors: Group norms, social identity, conformity
Emotions and behaviours can spread rapidly through a crowd like a contagious disease. People "catch" feelings and actions from others around them through a process of social influence.
Key factors: Emotional spread, suggestibility, imitation
Deindividuation is one of the most important concepts for explaining collective behaviour. Let's explore it in more detail:
When people become part of a crowd, several psychological changes can occur:
These changes can lead people to act in ways they normally wouldn't if they were alone or identifiable.
Philip Zimbardo's famous (and controversial) 1971 experiment showed how quickly ordinary people could change their behaviour when given anonymity and power. Students assigned to be 'guards' in a simulated prison became increasingly cruel to 'prisoner' students, showing how deindividuation can lead to anti-social behaviour.
The experiment had to be stopped early because of the psychological harm it was causing. While ethically problematic, it demonstrated how easily deindividuation can occur and affect behaviour.
Following the police shooting of Mark Duggan, peaceful protests escalated into widespread rioting and looting across London and other UK cities.
Psychological factors involved:
The "Games Makers" at the London Olympics showed positive collective behaviour, with thousands of volunteers creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Psychological factors involved:
Understanding the psychology of crowds helps authorities prevent or manage potentially dangerous situations:
Football matches provide excellent examples of collective behaviour management. Consider how these strategies are used:
Can you think of other examples where crowd psychology principles are applied in everyday situations?
As you review collective behaviour, keep these important points in mind:
When answering exam questions on collective behaviour, remember to use specific examples and psychological theories to explain the behaviour you're discussing. Link the features of the situation to concepts like deindividuation, social identity and contagion.
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