Even in bad evacuations panic stays confined to a small fraction

Evidence

While social support is common, this is not the case in all emergency evacuations, and there is also some variation over time and within events. A way is needed to conceptualise and explain behaviour in those mass emergencies that do not go so well, without accepting the problematic assumptions of “mass panic”. One approach is to argue that when panic does occur it is not a crowd phenomenon but rather is limited to small numbers of individuals – for example, just “1/124 (0.8%)” of people at the World Trade Center evacuation “panicked” (Blake, Galea, Westeng, & Dixon, 2004, p. 5). Another approach is more behavioural, which avoids the inherent problems of judging whether or not a response is irrational – for example, seeking to identify the psychological and situational conditions under which people push others aside (rather than cooperating). — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 34

Categorization

• SHARE: The 0.8% WTC panic figure is a crisp statistic for anyone citing how marginal genuine panic is in emergencies.
• XREF: connects to: Crowd ‘panic’ is rarely the true cause of disaster deaths — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 35; WTC evacuations were calm and cooperative rather than panicked — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 33; Empirical studies find crowd panic is rare even under extreme threat. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 30 (+3 more)

Related

• WTC evacuations were calm and cooperative rather than panicked (similarity 0.87)
• Empirical studies find crowd panic is rare even under extreme threat. (similarity 0.87)
• Mass panic is rare even under conditions theorized to produce it (similarity 0.85)
• Mass emergency behaviour stems from social identity, not panic or irrationality (similarity 0.85)
• Coordinated evacuation depends on organisation, not on the absence of emotion. (similarity 0.84)
• Crowd ‘panic’ is rarely the true cause of disaster deaths (similarity 0.84)
• Early mass-panic theory saw crowds as dissolving social bonds into competitive fear via contagion. (similarity 0.81)
• Mass panic language mostly labels fear, not actual selfish behaviour. (similarity 0.81)
• Crowds during disasters are a resource for support, not a panic problem. (similarity 0.81)
• Mutual helping, not selfish flight, is the dominant emergency behaviour (similarity 0.80)
• Emergencies typically produce mutual aid and orderliness rather than competitive panic. (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Empirical studies find crowd panic is rare even under extreme threat. #expands (0.90) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 30
• WTC evacuations were calm and cooperative rather than panicked #corroborates (0.85) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 33
• Mass panic is rare even under conditions theorized to produce it #expands (0.85) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 30
• Civilians long accustomed to border evacuation orders flee with discipline, not panic #exemplifies (0.80) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 349
• The Great Blackout produced euphoria and solidarity rather than panic #corroborates (0.78) — J. Hoberman, Everything Is Now, 983