1. Department of Psychology Dr John Drury j.drury@sussex.ac.uk
CROWD BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL IDENTITY
Crowd evacuation #1
Crowd conflict
Crowd evacuation
Simulation studies
Social Identity Model
Crowd conflict arises when:
crowd and outside forces (e.g., the police) have differing conceptions of legitimacy
the action of the police serves to unite otherwise disparate fragments of a physical crowd.
Crowd conflict is limited by participants’ social identities, which define appropriate conduct.
Applications
Urban riots, demonstrations, protest events.
Rationale
To examine how, when and why crowd evacuation behaviour is social & co-operative.
Background
Social and asocial models. Applicability of Social Identity Model to explain co-ordination amongst strangers in crowds.
Practical applications
Evacuation from stadia, buildings etc. Informing design and emergency procedures
Technology/ design
Role play room evacuation experiments
Visualization
Results
Some impact of shared identity.
Problem of psychological engagement
Please insert images within the relevant frame + Visu
Partners
ESRC, University of St Andrews, University of Nottingham (Computer Science, Chemical Engineering)
Crowd evacuation #2
Crowd behaviour and social identity – further research
Interviews with survivors
Crowd flow and spatiality
The experience of crowding
Post-event support
The events
Stadia and events disasters and near disasters, fires, explosions
Results
Shared threat creates shared identity and hence mutual concern and helping.
Recommendations
Abandon the ‘panic’ model in emergency procedures.
Inform the public
Enhance public solidarity
Design
Combining psychological models, Artificial Intelligence and mathematical computer models.
Existing applications
Visualizations of reconstructions, mathematic models of crowd flow.
Opportunities for companies
Public building and space design, public transport design: collaborative R&D, funded projects, endorsement.
Design
Experimental studies manipulating identity and crowding
Initial findings
Situations of crowding are tolerated or even enjoyed where people share a common identity
Opportunities for companies
Stadia, public transport managers, Health & Safety managers: collaborative R&D, consultancy.
Design
Interview and survey of disaster survivors on experiences of collective support.
Hypotheses
Group processes and social identity can mitigate Post Traumatic Stress.
Opportunities for companies
Emergency services, health services: studentships, collaborative R&D.