The context of this reflection
This article was born in October 2017, following the moments of anguish and social tension experienced in Catalonia and the debates on the violent episodes of the day of October 1. Beyond personal positions, it posed a question of social psychology: how does the group influence the behaviour of people?
A classic question of social psychology
Collective behaviour and mass behaviour have occupied many authors. The original text evoked Scipio Sighele and Gustave Le Bon, and collected a historical formulation of the so-called “laws of the masses.” They are proposals from the history of discipline, not universal rules to explain to any group.
Among these proposals were the tendency to act with a shared leadership, the idea that the group produces something different from the simple sum of its members, the relationship between number and emotional intensity, the role of certain external events, the composition of the crowd and the influence of the leader.
Between collective identity and the individual
Group explanations focus on collective identity, imitation, and the way in which ideas and feelings are shared and reinforced.When we see that other people share our attitudes, they can be reaffirmed.
Individualistic explanations stress that conscience and responsibility belong to people and question the existence of a collective mind above them. The debate invites us to think about how personal experiences, ties and social context are related.
Discussing without violence
Movements, communities, identity and social change offer many examples to reflect on. At ADIR Psicologia i Neuropsicologia, we encourage debate and explicitly condemn all forms of violence.