Crowd density lowers felt safety only for those weakly identifying with the crowd.

Evidence

In one study (N = 72), we randomly assigned student participants to low vs. high shared identification conditions. In the low-identification condition, we asked participants to think of themselves in terms of their personal identity and we described the crowd in the simulation as “tourists, shoppers, and commuters”, in the high-identification condition, we asked participants to think of themselves in terms of their identity as students and we described the crowd as “fellow students”. However, our manipulation checks found that levels of identification with the crowd were close to the scale mid-point across conditions – possibly because the manipulation was not engaging enough – which meant that we could not test for group differences. Nevertheless, regression analyses showed that identification with the crowd predicted the number of helping behaviours and (negatively) the number of times other characters were pushed aside, in line with the social identity explanation. In addition, concern for others mediated the relationship between social identification and helping behaviour. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 56 (#contradicts, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 5 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 56

Related

• Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. (similarity 0.90)
• Shared identity with a crowd converts density from threat into safety (similarity 0.89)
• Shared identity creates orderliness that makes routine dangerous crowding survivable (similarity 0.85)
• Crowd identification predicts helping and reduces pushing in evacuation simulations. (similarity 0.85)
• Shared identity in crowds produces solidarity and expected mutual support. (similarity 0.82)
• Observing others give support increases one’s own support giving mainly when identification is high (similarity 0.81)
• Observing others’ behaviour shapes one’s own behaviour most when shared identity is high. (similarity 0.80)
• Witnessing identity-mates panic or flee can spread that behaviour through crowds (similarity 0.79)
• Shared identity turns crowds from irrational mobs into solidarity-based adaptive resources (similarity 0.79)
• Crowd density is field-measured by visual estimation of people per square metre. (similarity 0.79)
• Group membership framing boosts helping and reduces pushing in emergency simulations. (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. #contradicts (0.82) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 56