Crowd Psychology

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by Mickmeister, Jun 1, 2009.

  1. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    Why are crowds so easily influenced? Humans do not seem to be able to think for themselves in a crowd. I have conducted experiments on crowd psychology and have just been amazed at how easy it is to influence humans. The topic fascinates me. Take for example, traffic psychology. I have observed one road be backed up for more than a half mile, while the parallel road is clear and both come out at relatively the same location. No one seems to think, hmmm, if I go over to 7th avenue, I will go right on through instead of sitting here on 8th. Another example is looking up into the air. I have stared with shock on my face up into the sky and others have reacted similarly, when there was nothing shocking to see up there. Another example is Obama. The speech he gave in Texas during the campaign. He coughed and got a standing ovation from the audience.
     
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  3. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    Mickmeister, i belive your mixing 2 different things. In your traffic case i would suggest the answer lies more in familarity, ie I ALWAYS travel this way and i know this way and there for even if it takes longer i will keep driving this way. Thats not crowd, thats personal
     
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  5. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    it's true though, people play "follow the leader".
     
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  7. codanblad a love of bridges Registered Senior Member

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    i think the idea is 'if everyone else is doing it, surely there's some logic to it/how bad can it be?'
     
  8. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    I was once involved with a demonstration and it was peaceful until a few of the people, I think they were there just to create violence. started to break windows and throw rocks at police. At first I , as well as a few others tried to stop them but we were also hit and pelted with rocks and told to fuck off. It is only a handful of people that can cause a peaceful crowd into a violent one very quickly for once others see what's going on they just follow along and become sheepeople.

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  9. takandjive Killer Queen Registered Senior Member

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    People were personally touched by Obama's objection to something.

    Also, try reading one of the thousands of sociological studies about this exact topic when you're not torturing bugs. Humans are just programmed this way for survival. Safety in numbers.
     
  10. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    Actually, he had a cold at the time.

    But crowds are not always right, so why can't individuals think for themselves?
     
  11. takandjive Killer Queen Registered Senior Member

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    It seemed more precise than that to some people, whether or not he said he had a cold.



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    I often wonder when people ask these questions if they honestly don't know or they're just being insincere as some kind moral superior savant facade. Either way, I want to choke them. Because humans are pack animals and ethics seem to be relative to survival of the group. This little trait just ends in unsavory behavior sometimes.
     
  12. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    812
    Yes.

    Actually I find it amusing on how I can use crowd psychology to influence many. I can guarantee you that I could have freaked out many with the way that everyone was panicking over the swine flu if I had gone into a crowd and started coughing incessantly. Crowds are that stupid. Crowds remind me of cattle. They are that easily influenced.

    Take ammunition right now. There is an email circulating the internet telling everyone that all current ammunition is going to be pulled from the shelves as of June 30th and replaced with serial numbered ammo. OK, there is no such thing. I went to the NRA site, which I am a member, and confirmed this, yet all of these stupid f**** are buying the hell out of ammo and none is available for weeks to months ahead. What is so hard to take a minute and see if it is true? This is another example of crowd psychology. No one seems to want to verify. They just take things at face value and go along.
     
  13. codanblad a love of bridges Registered Senior Member

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    i'm not sure that's a good example of crowd psychology. is their motivation 'everyone else is doing it' or 'oh shit we're going to run out of ammo - how will i defend my home against the terrorists!'.
     
  14. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    Take this as an example. I remember this email going around last year here at the office and friends. The one that sent it to me got mad when I replied to all and explained that not buying gasoline for one day is not going to affect the oil companies unless everyone actually consumed less gasoline that day also, otherwise this would be ineffective. All of these bogus emails that circulate are good examples of how humans take things at face value and don't confirm the validity.
     
  15. takandjive Killer Queen Registered Senior Member

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    I'm less angry/tense today, so I can calmly tell you that you mean SOCIOLOGY, not psychology. Looking like an idiot individually is psychology. The study of masses is sociology.

    People are afraid of what they don't understand, and I find groupthink irritating, but far less offensive than individual cruelty and ignorance.
     
  16. takandjive Killer Queen Registered Senior Member

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    She got irritated because you're not understanding the same principle you claim everyone else is too stupid to understand.
     
  17. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    What else is there to understand that not going to the pump for one day is not going to affect the oil companies? You are still going to go the next day if you didn't cut back on consumption also.
     
  18. Sciencelovah Registered Senior Member

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    I think it works both way.. on the interest of survival, humans who share similar interests tend to form crowd because in sharing they get some mutual benefits (so the individuals influence the crowds) and then the crowds influence the individuals in return.

    Let say that there is this book containing 25 chapters, each chapter has different languages. Then there is this 25 people with knowledge of just one different language and one common language ("the crowd language"). When they share each of their knowledge to interpret the chapter into the common language, they can get the full knowledge of the book.

    I think humans have noticed that individually their knowledge and power is limited, but they can increase this (getting the collective knowledge or power) by joining the crowd.
     
  19. grimace Banned Banned

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    that would happen with anyone. if i started coughing incessantly and was very close to you then i am sure you would have some reaction to it. swine flu? not rally i would be concerned about TB.

    your mixing up crowds and mobs. a mob has a leader usually dumber than the rest but has the biggest mouth.
     
  20. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    You are right. I should have used mob instead. Look at what happened at the Wal Mart in New Jersey last year when that mob killed the one employee.
     
  21. takandjive Killer Queen Registered Senior Member

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    The point is not to just cut down on consumption. That dip on a Tuesday is supposed to make oil companies question WHY it occurred and it's supposed to spur political action, possible action on behalf of the businesses, and perhaps make people change their consumption.
     
  22. jmpet Valued Senior Member

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    A person in intelligent, people are stupid.
    -Men in Black
     
  23. Anti-Flag Pun intended Registered Senior Member

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    You mean:
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.".

    Not that I've watched the movie more than 30 times or anything, honest.
     

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