Collective behavior encompasses various forms of group actions, from casual crowds to intense mobs and mass behaviors. These phenomena arise from shared focus, emotions, or responses to stimuli, often deviating from typical social norms and interactions.

Theories like emergent norm and value-added explain how collective behavior develops. They consider factors such as new norms in ambiguous situations, social conditions, and shared beliefs. Understanding these dynamics helps us grasp the complexities of group actions in society.

Collective Behavior

Forms of collective behavior

• Crowds involve temporary gatherings of people who share a common focus or purpose, with types including casual (loose collection of people in the same place, like in a park), conventional (planned gatherings with shared norms, like at a concert), expressive (intense emotional expression, like at rallies), and acting crowds (focused on specific goals or actions, like protests)
• Mobs are highly emotional crowds that may engage in violence or destruction, such as riots or lynchings
• Panics involve sudden, intense fear leading to irrational behavior, often occurring in situations of perceived threat (building fires) or danger (natural disasters)
• Crazes and fads refer to short-lived, enthusiastic involvement in a particular activity (dance crazes like the Macarena) or product (fashion trends, collectibles like Beanie Babies)
• Rumors involve the spread of unverified information through informal communication channels, which can be harmful (false accusations) or beneficial (early warnings) depending on content and context
• Urban legends are fictional stories passed off as true, often with a moral or cautionary message, spread through word of mouth and social media (tales of hitchhikers, cautionary stories about products)
• Mass behavior refers to actions of large, dispersed groups of people responding to similar stimuli, often facilitated by mass media and technology

Types and characteristics of crowds

• Casual crowds involve a loose collection of people in the same place at the same time with no common focus or purpose and minimal interaction, such as people in a park or shopping mall
• Conventional crowds are planned gatherings with a specific purpose and shared norms, where behavior is structured and predictable, like audiences at a concert or spectators at a sports event
• Expressive crowds involve gatherings where people express intense emotions collectively, often involving rhythmic behavior, chanting (political rallies), or singing (religious revivals)
• Acting crowds are focused on a specific goal or action and may engage in collective behavior that deviates from social norms, such as protests, demonstrations, and mobs

Theories of collective behavior

• Emergent norm theory suggests that collective behavior arises from the development of new norms in ambiguous situations, where people look to others for cues on how to behave when usual norms do not apply, with norms emerging through social interaction and influencing subsequent behavior
• Value-added theory proposes that collective behavior occurs when certain conditions are met in a specific order, including:
  1. Structural conduciveness (social conditions that allow for collective behavior)
  2. Structural strain (tensions or conflicts in society)
  3. Growth of a generalized belief (shared understanding of the situation)
  4. Precipitating factors (specific events that trigger collective action)
  5. Mobilization for action (organization and leadership)
  6. Social control (responses by authorities or other groups)
• The more conditions present, the more likely collective behavior will occur
• Criticisms and limitations of these theories include:
  • May not fully explain all forms of collective behavior
  • Some collective behavior may be more spontaneous or less structured than theories suggest
  • Theories may overlook the role of individual agency and decision-making in collective behavior

Additional Theories of Collective Behavior

• Contagion theory suggests that emotions and behaviors spread rapidly through crowds, leading to irrational and uniform actions
• Convergence theory proposes that individuals with similar pre-existing attitudes come together to form crowds, explaining the seemingly spontaneous emergence of collective behavior
• Collective action theory focuses on how individuals in groups make decisions to participate in social movements, considering factors such as shared interests, resources, and potential outcomes