Why does it seem like everyone in a crowd acts the same?
- Mass (or crowd) psychology studies the behavior of individuals when they are in a group, to try to understand how this can change a person’s actions.
- Individual emotions, beliefs, and even values can be shaped by the mass effect.
- In a crowd, interactions are generally superficial and fleeting, but everyone can be influenced by the emotions and impulses of the moment, which can cause them to act collectively without thinking.
No, you are not dreaming, it is very likely that in a crowd you will observe similar behaviors, almost synchronized between individuals. It is actually social influences, shared norms and collective emotions that play an essential role, and which is the subject of Mass Psychology, a branch of Social Psychology.
The influence of social context
Mass Psychology looks at how individuals interact and influence each other when in large gatherings. Individual emotions, beliefs and even values can be shaped by this type of context. Being in an enthusiastic crowd, at a sporting event for example, can make you want to follow the movement and be carried away by this collective emotion.
Social norms and cultural expectations also exert considerable pressure for everyone to conform to the behavior of the masses. This influence can even override individual beliefs, pushing one to conform to the behavior of the majority.
The difference between social groups and the masses
If a social group consists of a collection of people who interact regularly or share common characteristics, masses or crowds act in a coordinated manner without prior planning. We can observe this phenomenon when an audience reacts spontaneously to a concert by singing or dancing for example.
Within a group, people are likely to have deeper relationships and make more thoughtful decisions. In contrast, within a crowd, interactions are generally more superficial and fleeting and each person can be influenced by the emotions and impulses of the moment, which can push them to act collectively without thinking.
Why do we all act the same in a crowd?
The phenomenon of emotional contagion explains why it is difficult to maintain self-control in a crowd. When a collective emotion passes through individuals massed together, everyone feels contaminated by this same emotional state.
In addition, the anonymity provided by the masses reduces social inhibitions and everyone feels less responsible for their actions, which encourages them to conform to the behavior of the majority without thinking.
Find out more: “Crowd psychology: The influence and manipulation of a crowd on our behavior” by Gustave Le Bon.