Crowds turn psychological when members share perceived antagonism.

Evidence

The elaborated social identity model of crowd behaviour (ESIM; Drury & Reicher, 2000; Reicher, 1996a, 1996b, 2001; Stott & Reicher, 1998) distinguishes between physical and psychological crowds. A physical crowd – or mere aggregate of individuals or small groups – can become a psychological crowd when crowd members perceive out-group action against them as indiscriminate. Through sharing a common relationship to an antagonistic other, crowd members come to see themselves as one. This, in turn, is the basis for solidarity, cohesion, and empowerment in the crowd (Drury & Reicher, 1999). — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 16

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the physical-versus-psychological crowd distinction and the mechanism by which an aggregate becomes a unified, empowered group.
• ADDENDUM: Directly relevant to ‘On Sacrifice’ in so far as both treat how shared external threat consolidates group identity — though here it is about emergent solidarity rather than sanctified ritual.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 16
• XREF: connects to: Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 49; A psychological crowd forms from mere co-presence under shared threat. — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 104; Ideologies and situations jointly trigger perceived group competition, requiring an outgroup — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1497 (+3 more)

Related

• A psychological crowd forms from mere co-presence under shared threat. (similarity 0.87)
• Shared identity in crowds produces solidarity and expected mutual support. (similarity 0.86)
• Without a perceived shared threat, crowds fracture into antagonistic competitors for space. (similarity 0.84)
• Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity (similarity 0.84)
• Shared identity with a crowd converts density from threat into safety (similarity 0.82)
• The psychological crowd is an adaptive survival resource in emergencies (similarity 0.80)
• Shared identity turns crowds from irrational mobs into solidarity-based adaptive resources (similarity 0.80)
• An ambiguous, unconcretized threat fragments rather than unites a crowd. (similarity 0.80)
• Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. (similarity 0.80)
• Greater perceived threat of death produces more solidarity among strangers, not more competition. (similarity 0.80)
• Collective identity shifts personal goals toward the group’s welfare (similarity 0.79)
• Ideologies and situations jointly trigger perceived group competition, requiring an outgroup (similarity 0.79)
• People act together because shared identity lets each expect others will join (similarity 0.79)
• Crowds arouse sub-individual instincts while organized groups transcend individuals (similarity 0.78)
• Shared identity generates expectations of support and trust among group members (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• A psychological crowd forms from mere co-presence under shared threat. #corroborates (0.85) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 104
• Ideologies and situations jointly trigger perceived group competition, requiring an outgroup #expands (0.85) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1497