What Can Social Psychology tell us about how people behave in crowds?

The first 200 words of this essay...

What Can Social Psychology tell us about how people behave in crowds?

Social psychology, provides much information with regards to the interactions of human behaviour, and goes into depth to try to explain collective behaviour. According to Graumann and Moscovici (1986), 'collective behaviour usually refers to large numbers of people who are in the same place at the same time, and who behave in a uniform manner that is volatile, highly emotional and in violation of social norms'. Therefore, to simplify this quotation further, it can be interpreted that individuals behaviour can be influenced and therefore changes when they become part (member) of a larger group/crowd.

It will be suggested that no one psychologist can truly explain crowd behaviour.

Early research regarding collective behaviour was proposed by Le Bon. He developed his theory of crowds in the latter years of the nineteenth century by experiencing the Paris Commune of 1871 and also 'reading accounts of the 1848 revolutions'. After reading about such events, Le Bon believes that being 'part of an organised crowd, a man descends several rungs in the ladder of civilisation' (1908) this consequently supported the idea put forward earlier by Graumann and Moscovici (1986)