Collective behaviour Flashcards
What is collective behaviour?
Typically refers to relatively large aggregations of individuals who display similarities in action and outlook, also known as crowd behaviour.
What are the characteristics of a collective crowd?
Size- large
Proximity- together or dispersed
Duration- form and disband rapidly
Conventionality- sometimes members actions are atypical, unconventional or deviant
Relationships among members- weak associations rather than cohesion.
What is Le Bon’s crowd study?
The idea that crowd psychology, foster anonymity and can generate emotion, coined term contagion which is that irrational feelings can spread through the crowd.
What is convergence theory?
Leads to de-individuation as the members begin with similar beliefs or features but converge to be a whole.
Why are people more likely to do irrational things within a crowd?
De-individuation leads to anonymity and diffusion of responsibility, heightened psychological arousal.
What factor can increase de-individuation?
Group size, bigger the more anonymity.
What study supports crowd behaviours 1972?
Diener, trick or treat, only told to take one candy then left alone. Some kids were asked their name and addresses and were alone, they were more likely to take one.
Those in groups were not asked their names and were more likely to take more.
What was Festinger’s study 1952?
Those who were sat in dim light with dark lab coats were more likely to use bad language when discussing erotic literature than those in the light.
What was Mann’s study in 1981?
Studied 21 instances when someone was about to jump off a building, if the group was small and it was light they did not do anything or ty and get them not to, whereas if it was dark and there was a large group they were more likely to jeer and bait the individual to jump.
What is the Kitty Genovese case?
Kitty Genovese was assaulted, stabbed and murdered at night. lights were on in windows in the courtyard people even yelled whats going on, but nobody called the police or helped. She fell into a hallway of an apartment, the man who lived there watched her get further attacked and did nothing as she was left to bleed to death. (Some people did try to call but dint get through)
What was the Genovese/bystander effect?
The idea that nobody responded to the murder as they were conscious of the rest of the neighbours/group were doing. They were anonymous in the group/
What did Latane & Darley find?
Students on intercom heard seizure happening down the hall, if you are the only person who can help more likely too, but if there is multiple people the responsibility is not solely on one person so less likely.
What is the effect of group membership?
The idea that if the person that was in need of help was a member of the same group as yourself that you are more likely to help.
What did Fischer et al find?
- If the situation was perceived to be dangerous or violent men were more likely to intervene than women.
- In addition people may be more likely to intervene if they have similarities to the victim, e.g. age, gender or ethnicity.
- If the person had capability, e.g. nurses would intervene in a medical emergence.
What are some cons of the Genovese case?
People although can be recognised as a group of neibours they were technically alone.
Reports had false details.
People did actually ring the police.
