What is Crowd Psychology?

@Kristee – I know what you mean. I am influenced by a group of my coworkers every day, and I often go along with decisions that seem to be what the group wants, even if I don't agree with them.

On super busy days, we have to get together and decide where to order our lunch takeout from. I hate Mexican food, but there have been several times when someone suggested it and other people seconded this, so I just agreed.

I've noticed that if I speak up first and suggest a different place, most people go with this. The psychology of the group is most affected by the first choice put out there and how people react to it.

The psychology of crowds at rock concerts affects the behavior of individuals. For example, I would never dance and jump at a concert if no one else was, but when everyone around me starts doing it, I feel compelled to join in.

In fact, I would stand out if I didn't join in. This is the only time in my life I actually feel inconspicuous for jumping and dancing in public.

I've seen the crowd psychology theory at work in my own family. There are things that my parents would have never participated in or allowed in the home when I was little that they gave in to over the years as my sisters and brothers and I grew up.

Two of my aunts and their husbands lived with us for several years, and my parents started to lighten up a bit about allowing alcohol and certain TV shows in the house. The overall mentality became more relaxed, and suddenly, all of us were happier and under fewer restrictions.

If my extended family had never come to live with us, then my parents might still be uptight and strict. I'm really glad that they were able to influence the group.

The psychology of crowds can be a powerful thing. If many people in the crowd share even a little bit of a sentiment, it can quickly escalate into a chant or even a riot.

This is why I avoid crowds. People tend to lose their inhibitions when in a large group.

@Qohe1et: Do you really want that? I don't usually judge, but think of the implications.

@Qohe1et

True, but all other forms of insecurity were very high. Disease, war, and famine, made you unsure if you would make it past 20. Not only that, people were dependent on the church and religion because of fear, and there was little or no social mobility. If you were born poor, you were pretty much screwed.

@ShadowGenius

Sometimes this flexibility makes me wish that group psychology would revert to what it used to be 500 years ago in Western cultures. You would have a job assignment at birth which you would carry out to your death. Your role was defined and your marriage was arranged. Very little social insecurity.

Crowd psychology can take on very different forms depending on the context and culture in which it is found. In certain Eastern cultures, the In-group and Out-group are emphasized very strongly, and becoming a member is difficult. These are known as high-context cultures, and require a detailed knowledge of the culture in order to function well in it. American culture is different, we are what is known as low-context culture. Groups form and break, and you meet new people every day whom you probably will never really get to know. Crowd psychology in the Western setting is very flexible, and therefore more effective in the short-term, but non-existent in the long term.

I think that crowd psychology is ideal when it adapts to different situations to address different problems by choosing to change leaders based on competence in such a given situation. For instance, if there is someone in the group who is an expert on erosion and the group is required to do a study on erosion, the person with that expertise should assume the role of a leader, regardless of his or her tendency to lead. A rigid procrustean identification of people as "leaders" or "followers" is seldom if ever helpful.