[some_guy282]

What is "Mob Mentality" exactly?

People act differently when they are part of a large group. We know this, and it can often lead to negative behavior, like, riots for example. I've been reading James Goodman's book Blackout, an account of the 1977 blackout in NYC. Why did so many people simultaneously decide the blackout was their opporunity to loot and steal when other blackouts didn't produce the same result? That question has been endlessly debated. But the book has made me wonder, how will people react to future blackouts and other symptoms of peak oil (like high gas prices) in the future?

I've heard the phrase "Mob Mentality" used vaguely when discussing how upset people will be when dealing with Peak Oil, but I've never read anything concrete on it. Does anyone have any books they could recommend (or articles they can link to) that gives a good comprehensive explanation of Mob Mentality? Or maybe some more interesting stories from history of spontaneous mob behavior (like Blackout).

[crapattack]

Mob mentality, or "crowd psychology", "group processes", "groupthink", or in sociology "collective behaviour" or "group behaviour", "mob rule", is a very interesting study within human psychology. The study of this area started around the time of the Kitty Genovese case, where a woman in NYC was brutally raped and stabbed to death in view of 38 witnesses. Psychologists became quite interested in the human dynamics of the case that could cause this apparent "callousness" to happen, and it later became known as the "bystander effect".

Crowd psychology covers a wide range of phenomena, and there are several theories, but the Emergent-norm theory is widely supported, there are other theories as well:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')alph Turner and Lewis Killian developed the emergent-norm theory of crowd dynamics. These researchers concede that social behavior is never entirely predictable, but neither are crowds as irrational. If similar interests may draw people together, distinctive patterns of behavior may emerge in the crowd itself. Crowds begin as collectivities, acting, and protest crowds – norms may be vague and changing as when, say, one person at a rock concert holds up a lit cigarette lighter to signal praise for the performers, and other follow suit. In short, people in crowds make their own rules as they go along.

Decision-making, then, plays a major role in crowd behavior, although casual observers of a crowd may not realize it. Crowd behavior reflects the desires of participants, but it is also guided by norms that emerge as the situation unfolds. Emergent-norm theory points out that people in a crowd take on different roles. Some step forward as leaders; others become lieutenants, rank-and-file followers, inactive bystanders or even opponents.

Source

[Schneider]

Hum..

1977 vs 2003 Blackout :

From the poor overview i could get of the 1977 blackout..the main difference between the one of 2003 ,is poverty and hardship..

Both were in days with high temps in summer (people loose their nerves a lot faster in hot temperature),but most countries in the First World still live actually (and back in 2003) in a relative wealthy climate/economy,it wasn't the case in 1977 from what i can read !

I suppose that a "bad" Mob (or pack) mentality arise when a lot of hardship (social and/or economic) is the norm..otherwise,i think that most peoples,at the condition they believe everything will be back sooner than later,don't start a mob and begin to steal and burn everything ..

Only my opinion of course


Schneider
French-Canadian

[crapattack]

New Orleans.

[TorrKing]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('crapattack', 'P')sychologists became quite interested in the human dynamics of the case that could this apparent "callousness" to happen, and it later became known as the "bystander effect".

[justgas]

I am in the middle of reading The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki. He says a lot of how the majority of people respond to a situation dependes on how the first few people respond and how the group is structured. He does not take the analysis back one more step to say what influences those first movers, but I would think the general climate and chance play a big role here. If there are a lot of angry people who feel like they are not getting their fair share when the lights go out it is a good chance that one of those people will be in front of a store where there is something they want and they will start the looting. On the other hand if most people are satisfied, if the lights go out, the odds are the first responders will do something helpful like direct traffic or light people down stairways.

As peak aware people we can prepare to be the first responders and thereby help set the tone of subsequent action.

[Ludi]

Mobs behave differently under different circumstances. During the LA riots (Rodney King riots), the mobs were dangerously aggressive. Looting was rampant. After the Northridge earthquake, the mobs were quiet, fearful, and demoralized. There was relatively little looting.

[some_guy282]

Yeah Schneider, that pretty much covers the differences between the two blackouts. I think you left one important thing out though. The 2003 blackout started in the day, so the police had time to prepare. The 1977 blackout happened at night when it was dark. There was actually a blackout in 1966 that was very similar to the 2003 blackout's atmosphere and didn't see any looting at all.

Another thing to consider with why there was no looting/rioting in 2003 is the terrorism factor. Speaking as someone was lives in NYC during the blackout a couple of years ago, one of the first things that popped into my head was "Is this an act of terrorism?" I think many other people wondered the same thing, and if it was an act of terrorism, they wouldn't want to let the terrorists "win" by acting like animals and looting.

Thanks for the links. Keep 'em coming...

[AmericanEmpire]

Thing is we don't know what will happen when we have a permanent blackout.

I figure after desperation starts to set in it will be shooting and looting.

[apocolyptica]

i live in a small tightly knit community but wtshtf i wouldnt put it past some people to riot this is why i have my supplies ready to go if the rioting starts im not staying in my house id rather sleep out in the wilderness than get my brains blowed out by an angry scared mob

[kmann]

The way I've heard mob mentality explained is that the people in the mob no longer identify themselves as individuals but indentify themselves as a part of the group. Thus, the group in more important then their indivuality, they give up their own values for whatever the mob values.

[AmericanEmpire]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'd') rather sleep out in the wilderness than get my brains blowed out by an angry scared mob

[JustinFrankl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'M')obs behave differently under different circumstances. During the LA riots (Rodney King riots), the mobs were dangerously aggressive. Looting was rampant. After the Northridge earthquake, the mobs were quiet, fearful, and demoralized. There was relatively little looting.

[TorrKing]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AmericanEmpire', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'd') rather sleep out in the wilderness than get my brains blowed out by an angry scared mob

[TheTurtle]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AmericanEmpire', '
')But I've also been thinking. When things get bad won't lots of other people also think about heading out into the wilderness to look for food or whatnot? The wilderness will become overloaded with people if that happens.

[crapattack]

AE wrote:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B')ut I've also been thinking. When things get bad won't lots of other people also think about heading out into the wilderness to look for food or whatnot? The wilderness will become overloaded with people if that happens.

[AmericanEmpire]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')robably get some crazy suits out there in the bush trying to catch deer and squirrels with their neckties and some other demented behaviours. It could get truly weird.

[truecougarblue]

The original question was on mob mentality. As I've stated before, it seems that it would help to be actively attached to some organized group that will act in a positive fashion when things are tough. This could be as simple as joining the neighborhood watch. If a situation goes so bad so fast that these organizations can't help then you really can't help it anyway, but having people around who have a general sense of organization and purpose is probably exactly what defeats mob mentality.

I saw someone post regarding the PCP King riots. Some think the national guard stopped those riots. From what I saw I think it was the korean store owners standing guard on thier roofs with rifles that stopped it.

[Kickinthegob]

Here is an interesting read on the story behind the flash mob
http://www.harpers.org/MyCrowd.html