Question

You are walking across campus and see a large group of students gathered outside the student union, listening to someone talk. You stop and try to listen, but you can’t get close enough. You ask another member of the crowd what’s happening, and you are told that someone was proselytizing and that some students gathered to listen while others argued. What does this tell you about crowds?
a. A crowd doesn't have to share a geographic location.
b. In any crowd, people have many different motivations.
c. Crowds are illogical.
d. When people join a crowd, they lose their individuality and become part of something like a collective mind.
e. Croeds tend to form for mostly benevolent purposes.

Answer 1

Answer:

d. When people join a crowd, they lose their individuality and become part of something like a collective mind.

Explanation:

According to the Classical Theory of crowd behaviour the correct answer is d. When people join a crowd, they lose their individuality and become part of something like a collective mind. Classical Theory states that the minds of those peoples integrating a crowd or group of people tend to "merge" their way of thinking into a single one. This way of social thinking fosters anonymity and may generate emotions. There are other valid theories such as Contagion Theory, Convergence Theory and Group Mind Theory among others.