A shared identity can emerge within a crowd only after an emergency begins.

Evidence

We assumed that people in crowds without a shared social identity remained that way throughout the emergency. However, our studies of real-life emergencies indicated that a more dynamic account was required, more in line with the ideas on “emergent groupness” described above. The best example is our study of survivor behaviours during the 7 July 2005 London bombings, for in this case the crowd (of commuters) had no shared social identity prior to the explosions but behaved as if they did immediately afterwards. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 61

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘emergent groupness’ idea parallels crowd psychology critiques of the classic deindividuation/panic accounts and resonates with work on suddenly shared fate in disasters. — connects to: People act collectively in emergencies despite being conditioned toward individual self-interest. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 14; Shared identity that enables crowd helping often emerges during an emergency rather than pre-existing. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 79; Post-disaster solidarity toward strangers stems from emergent shared social identity, not prior personal ties. — John Drury and Rupert Brown and Roberto González and Daniel Miranda, Emergent social identity and observing…, 118 (+14 more)
• DEEPTHINKING: Reframes identity not as a fixed trait people bring into a crowd but as something that can crystallize mid-crisis — a genuinely dynamic reconception of emergency behaviour.
• corroborated: 5 independent passages support this claim — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 61

Related

• Shared identity that enables crowd helping often emerges during an emergency rather than pre-existing. (similarity 0.96)
• Shared identity can emerge rapidly during, not before, an emergency. (similarity 0.96)
• Shared emergent identity from common fate explains collective support amid disasters (similarity 0.92)
• Shared fate in danger makes strangers act as one group offering help. (similarity 0.91)
• Shared identity turns crowds from irrational mobs into solidarity-based adaptive resources (similarity 0.91)
• Shared social identity produces adaptive psychosocial resilience that aids group survival in emergencies. (similarity 0.91)
• Emergency responders should deliberately cultivate shared identity with survivors. (similarity 0.91)
• Existing social bonds do not always explain emergency collective behaviour (similarity 0.90)
• Solidarity among emergency survivors stems from perceiving strangers as oneself. (similarity 0.90)
• Shared social identity is the causal variable predicting solidarity among disaster strangers. (similarity 0.89)
• People act collectively in emergencies despite being conditioned toward individual self-interest. (similarity 0.89)
• Post-disaster solidarity toward strangers stems from emergent shared social identity, not prior personal ties. (similarity 0.89)
• The emergency itself, not an outgroup, can define group boundaries (similarity 0.89)
• Shared danger makes people feel close to strangers and motivates mutual help. (similarity 0.89)
• Mass emergency behaviour stems from social identity, not panic or irrationality (similarity 0.88)

Broader Connections

• Shared identity that enables crowd helping often emerges during an emergency rather than pre-existing. #corroborates (0.95) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 79
• Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity #corroborates (0.95) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 49
• A psychological crowd forms from mere co-presence under shared threat. #corroborates (0.90) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 104
• Shared social identity is the causal variable predicting solidarity among disaster strangers. #corroborates (0.90) — John Drury and Evangelos Ntontis, A SOCIAL IDENTITY MODEL OF COLLECTIVE…, 26
• Post-disaster solidarity toward strangers stems from emergent shared social identity, not prior personal ties. #corroborates (0.85) — John Drury and Rupert Brown and Roberto González and Daniel Miranda, Emergent social identity and observing…, 118
• Emergency crowds can generate new social bonds among strangers. #corroborates (0.85) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 13
• Solidarity among emergency survivors stems from perceiving strangers as oneself. #corroborates (0.85) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 14
• Shared danger of death heightens unity among strangers in an emergency. #corroborates (0.80) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 104
• Mass emergency behaviour stems from social identity, not panic or irrationality #corroborates (0.80) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 122
• Collective emergencies suspend urban anonymity and legitimize open stranger contact #expands (0.75)
• Respectful responder communication builds shared identity that speeds emergency evacuation procedures. #expands (0.75) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 160
• Emergency responders should deliberately cultivate shared identity with survivors. #expands (0.75) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 157
• People act together because shared identity lets each expect others will join #corroborates (0.75) — John Drury and Rupert Brown and Roberto González and Daniel Miranda, Emergent social identity and observing…, 130
• Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. #expands (0.70) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 56