Join the Crowd: Group Mentality vs. Mob Mentality

[custom_frame_center][/custom_frame_center] The mob mentality, also known as herd or crowd mentality, has become a common scene in the media — throngs of people occupying streets after a devastating event. The site evokes fear in some; what will this group do, or maybe more frighteningly, what won’t they do? It’s a sense of solidarity for others, even if they are just watching remotely. We have seen riots begin and spread throughout our country, most recently since August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Protestors in city after city joined Ferguson’s protest and then, last month after Freddie Gray’s shooting death in Baltimore, Maryland, rioting spread to multiple major metropolitan cities. How does mob mentality spread? Or is it always under the surface, waiting for a spark?

Crowd Mentality vs. Mob Mentality

A March 17, 2015 article by Michael Bond addresses crowd mentality as a positive experience, “Individuals in crowds do not abandon their rationality or surrender their identity to a mob mentality. They do not lose their minds. They do, however, become highly sensitive to what those around them are doing, and become strongly cooperative as a result.”

But what we have seen in our metropolitan cities does not match Bond’s idyllic crowd. We’re not talking about a Dave Matthews concert, a political rally or a Little League game. So what makes the difference?

Spokane, Washington’s KHQ TV ran a story on November 25, 2014 in response to the events in Ferguson, featuring mental health counselor Paul Susac. Susac said the combination of the shooting and grand jury’s decision were “lightening rods” where the community came together as a group around the issue. He referenced the deindividuation theory, saying, “The group mentality starts with everyone’s individual experiences. There’s individual experiences of humiliation, of oppression and discrimination and prejudice.” Collective experiences and heightened emotions mesh and, “It becomes safer to express your anger, resentment, and hostility in that group dynamic.”

The Deindividuation Theory

The Deindividuation Theory was developed by American social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1952. Wikipedia’s definition states: Deindividuation theory argues that in typical crowd situations, factors such as anonymity, group unity, and arousal can weaken personal controls (e.g. guilt, shame, self-evaluating behavior) by distancing people from their personal identities and reducing their concern for social evaluation. This lack of restraint increases individual sensitivity to the environment and lessens rational forethought, which can lead to antisocial behavior. More recent theories have stated that deindividuation hinges upon a person being unable, due to situation, to have strong

awareness of their self as an object of attention. This lack of attention frees the individual from the necessity of normal social behavior.

Using the Deindividuation Theory, it’s easy to see how rational concerns can escalate into rioting. While motivation, emotions and personal experience vary, the combination of information/misinformation, deep-seated feelings and current events is effective enough to ignite the spark.