May 31, 2023
What happens when people gather in crowds – whether for
political rallies, protests, football games or religious
pilgrimages? Stephen Reicher, PhD, of St. Andrew’s University in
Scotland, discusses why “mob mentality” is a myth; other
misconceptions about crowd behavior; the role of leaders in groups
and what can we learn from re-examining some classic psychology
studies on obedience to authority; and what we’ve learned about
leaders, followers, group identity and collective behavior from the
COVID-19 pandemic.
For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the
Speaking
of Psychology Homepage.