Collective Behaviour

Question 1

how do ‘group mind’ theories explain collective behaviour?

Answer 1

gustave le bon 1895 - that the individual mind disappears when submerged in a crowd and is replaced by ‘racial unconsciousness’, and that the spread of behaviour is enhanced by ‘contagion’

Question 2

what are the limitations of ‘group mind’ theories?

Answer 2

• they link collective behaviour with mindless violence

- they cant explain non-violent crowds

Question 3

describe the ‘interactionism’ theory of collective behaviour?

Answer 3

lewin, asch, sherif

• shared, internalised representations of the group in each individual enables collective behaviour
• this representation comes about through interpersonal interaction

Question 4

what study’s findings opposes the interactionism theory of collective behaviour?

Answer 4

the minimal group paradigm - tajfel, billing, bundy, flament 1971
the boys favoured their ingroup over the outgroup in the allocation of points, even though there was no intergroup interaction

Question 5

what was turner 1982 theory of collective behaviour?

Answer 5

self categorisation theory - shared social identity, not interpersonal interaction, produced collective behaviour
-cognitive representations of the self take the form of self-categories
-self-categories exist at different levels of abstraction & the collective self is as real as the personal self
-salience of self-categories operates through fit & perceiver readiness (commitment, knowledge)
fit = comparative fit (meta-contrast, differences within group are less than between groups), normative fit (group members act the way you expect)
-category salience leads to the accentuation of perceived within group similarities & inter-group differences
-social influence operates through shared self-cat

Question 6

what is an example of comparative fit?

Answer 6

the london 2005 bombings - survivors were asked about the collective unity of the train passengers before and after the bombing
before = very low after = very high

Question 7

what is a prototype?

Answer 7

an individual who best embodies the ingroup

Question 8

what are the other implications of self-categorisation?

Answer 8

• collective behaviour
• attraction to ingroup
• self sacrifice
• sharing perceptions with ingroup(take their opinion as truth)
• stereotyping