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Factors in Successful Emergency Responses

Topic: Collective behaviour
by Jacqui, 2019 Cohort

‘Collective behaviour’ refers to social events that do not conform to normal rules present in group dynamics. It explains the complex response mechanisms amongst groups in apparently ‘random’ events such as fads and riots. There are four forms of collective behaviour: the crowd, the public, the mass and the social movement. We will focus on crowd responses in emergency situations to unravel the complex nature of collective behaviour.

The crowd can be compact or diffuse. Events such as witch hunts, where people throughout an area experience the same change in norms, are a diffuse crowd. The crowd is complex because it stems from a shared human emotion. The three emotions that lead to crowds are fear, joy and anger. Respectively, these lead to panicked, crazed and hostile crowds. Interestingly, while a crowd stems from emotion, it will react rationally within the new rules of the crowd.

There are multiple theories surrounding crowd behaviour. Contagion theory postulates that crowds act as a hypnotic influence on their members through strong emotions and reduced responsibility. Conversely, convergence theory contends that people that want to act a certain way will group together. Emergent norm theory (ENT) creates a new norm when standard norms are displaced through uncertainty and urgency. We will examine the ENT because it explains interactions in emergency situations.

ENT proposes that after notification of an emergency, people will need to seek a shared understanding through consulting with others. This questioning process is called milling. If there is a larger group, the milling process will take longer. Similarly, if the group know each other, the decision will take longer because fewer norms will change and more consideration will be given to individuals. This means people will act not on what the emergency is, but rather, what others tell them the emergency is. This process is what establishes the new group norm and distinguishes it from generic group dynamics.

Milling is pertinent in emergency situations because a delay in decision making can lead to catastrophe. This is why effective warning systems are important in natural disasters: to reduce the human tendency to seek and confirm information and thus save time.

The next stage, keynoting, requires individuals to suggest actions within the frame of their emergency. Generally the actions that are successful will match the disposition of the crowd. Pluralistic ignorance (where silence is taken for assent to the norm) will perpetuate the disposition rather than dilute it. This is what establishes a conforming group. However, participants can act for different reasons whilst propelling a singular norm. Four key participants are:

• The committed: act with little hesitation towards the crowd’s goal
• The concerned: sure that something should be done but unsure what.
• Curious spectators, uninvested but want to know outcome.
• Exploiters: only there for the fuss.

The effectiveness of group behaviour is influenced by location, time and the source of message. This is important in an emergency because it will impact the speed a group reacts to the event and reduce the number of casualties.

Explore this topic further#

• Wikipedia section on collective behaviour{.link-ext target=”_blank”}
• Complexity: A Guided Tour by Melanie Mitchell Prologue [PDF]{.link-ext target=”_blank”}
• Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds{.link-ext target=”_blank”} (Wikipedia)

Return to Collective behaviour in the Primer

Disclaimer#

This content has been contributed by a student as part of a learning activity.
If there are inaccuracies, or opportunities for significant improvement on this topic, feedback is welcome on how to improve the resource.
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‘Collective behaviour’ refers to social events that do not conform to normal rules present in group dynamics. It explains the complex response mechanisms amongst groups in apparently ‘random’ events such as fads and riots. There are four forms of collective behaviour: the crowd, the public, the mass and the social movement. We will focus on crowd responses in emergency situations to unravel the complex nature of collective behaviour.

The crowd can be compact or diffuse. Events such as witch hunts, where people throughout an area experience the same change in norms, are a diffuse crowd. The crowd is complex because it stems from a shared human emotion. The three emotions that lead to crowds are fear, joy and anger. Respectively, these lead to panicked, crazed and hostile crowds. Interestingly, while a crowd stems from emotion, it will react rationally within the new rules of the crowd.

There are multiple theories surrounding crowd behaviour. Contagion theory postulates that crowds act as a hypnotic influence on their members through strong emotions and reduced responsibility. Conversely, convergence theory contends that people that want to act a certain way will group together. Emergent norm theory (ENT) creates a new norm when standard norms are displaced through uncertainty and urgency. We will examine the ENT because it explains interactions in emergency situations.

ENT proposes that after notification of an emergency, people will need to seek a shared understanding through consulting with others. This questioning process is called milling. If there is a larger group, the milling process will take longer. Similarly, if the group know each other, the decision will take longer because fewer norms will change and more consideration will be given to individuals. This means people will act not on what the emergency is, but rather, what others tell them the emergency is. This process is what establishes the new group norm and distinguishes it from generic group dynamics.

Milling is pertinent in emergency situations because a delay in decision making can lead to catastrophe. This is why effective warning systems are important in natural disasters: to reduce the human tendency to seek and confirm information and thus save time.

The next stage, keynoting, requires individuals to suggest actions within the frame of their emergency. Generally the actions that are successful will match the disposition of the crowd. Pluralistic ignorance (where silence is taken for assent to the norm) will perpetuate the disposition rather than dilute it. This is what establishes a conforming group. However, participants can act for different reasons whilst propelling a singular norm. Four key participants are:

• The committed: act with little hesitation towards the crowd’s goal
• The concerned: sure that something should be done but unsure what.
• Curious spectators, uninvested but want to know outcome.
• Exploiters: only there for the fuss.

The effectiveness of group behaviour is influenced by location, time and the source of message. This is important in an emergency because it will impact the speed a group reacts to the event and reduce the number of casualties.