Shared identity with a crowd converts density from threat into safety

Evidence

We reasoned that as levels of density increased in the crowd, this should be associated with a reduction in subjective feelings of safety. As expected, the relationship with safety was negative. However, we also expected, and found, this relationship to be moderated by identification with the crowd. Simple slopes analysis (see Figure 4) showed that, at relatively low levels of identification with the crowd, as density increased so safety decreased. However, at high levels of identification with the crowd, as density increased so safety actually increased. We reasoned that those who felt greater safety when the number of fellow pilgrims around them was greater were people who trusted these pilgrims to act with care and concern, and to support, protect, and respect them. Thus, based on the social identity model, we predicted and found the same indirect effect of social identification on feeling safe via perceptions of support as found in BBB2. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 150

Categorization

• XREF: The density→safety reversal directly evidences the reader’s core thesis that solidarity forms through trust and mutual support among ingroup members, not through an external enemy. — connects to: Crowd identification predicts helping and reduces pushing in evacuation simulations. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 56; Shared identity in crowds produces solidarity and expected mutual support. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 104; Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 49 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Shared identity creates orderliness that makes routine dangerous crowding survivable #exemplifies (0.90) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 151
• Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity #expands (0.85) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 49
• An ambiguous, unconcretized threat fragments rather than unites a crowd. #complicates (0.82) — John Drury and Evangelos Ntontis, A SOCIAL IDENTITY MODEL OF COLLECTIVE…, 27
• A psychological crowd forms from mere co-presence under shared threat. #expands (0.80) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 104
• Shared identity turns crowds from irrational mobs into solidarity-based adaptive resources #expands (0.80) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 164