Witnessing identity-mates panic or flee can spread that behaviour through crowds

Evidence

Expected support is a crucial hinge for a variety of behavioural and psychological outcomes. As well as these predicted direct and indirect effects of shared identity, the behaviour of relevant others can be a powerful (unintended) influence; when people with whom we share social identity express fear, or flee, or support others, this is likely to affect whether we do the same. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 17

Categorization

• QUESTION: This implies crowd ‘panic’ is not mere contagion but hinges on whether fleeing others are perceived as sharing one’s own category — worth chasing the empirical evidence for this counterintuitive claim.
• corroborated: 5 independent passages support this claim — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 17
• 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; Observing others’ behaviour shapes one’s own behaviour most when shared identity is high. — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 131; Mass emergency behaviour stems from social identity, not panic or irrationality — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 122 (+6 more)

Related

• Early mass-panic theory saw crowds as dissolving social bonds into competitive fear via contagion. (similarity 0.86)
• Observing others’ behaviour shapes one’s own behaviour most when shared identity is high. (similarity 0.84)
• Mass emergency behaviour stems from social identity, not panic or irrationality (similarity 0.84)
• Empirical studies find crowd panic is rare even under extreme threat. (similarity 0.83)
• Shared identity with a crowd increases helping and decreases pushing others aside. (similarity 0.83)
• Shared identity turns crowds from irrational mobs into solidarity-based adaptive resources (similarity 0.83)
• Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity (similarity 0.82)
• Shared identity that enables crowd helping often emerges during an emergency rather than pre-existing. (similarity 0.82)
• Greater perceived threat of death produces more solidarity among strangers, not more competition. (similarity 0.82)
• Shared identity with a crowd converts density from threat into safety (similarity 0.81)
• Shared identity in crowds produces solidarity and expected mutual support. (similarity 0.81)
• Survivor reactions in emergencies spread to others as unintended social influence. (similarity 0.80)
• Crowd identification predicts helping and reduces pushing in evacuation simulations. (similarity 0.80)
• Shared danger of death heightens unity among strangers in an emergency. (similarity 0.80)
• Shared identity creates orderliness that makes routine dangerous crowding survivable (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Observing others’ behaviour shapes one’s own behaviour most when shared identity is high. #corroborates (0.85) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 131
• Mass emergency behaviour stems from social identity, not panic or irrationality #expands (0.78) — John Drury and Chris Cocking and Steve Reicher, Everyone for themselves? A comparative…, 122
• Facing a shared threat transforms individuals into a psychological crowd with emergent shared identity #expands (0.75) — John Drury, The role of social identity processes…, 49