Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · Psychology
Course version: 1PS0 · Version from Sept 2017
Understand the behaviour of crowds and the individuals within them and the…
Full specification wording
Social influence: 5.1.5 Understand the behaviour of crowds and the individuals within them and the effect of collective behaviour, including a. pro- and anti-social behaviour
Collective behaviour occurs when individuals act as part of a crowd, often behaving differently than they would alone.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1PS0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 6
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Collective behaviour occurs when individuals act as part of a crowd, often behaving differently than they would alone. This shift is frequently driven by deindividuation, where anonymity reduces personal responsibility. The effect of collective behaviour manifests in two contrasting ways. Anti-social behaviour involves actions that harm others or disrupt society, such as rioting or vandalism. Conversely, crowds can also exhibit pro-social behaviour, which benefits others and society. Examples include peaceful demonstrations or bystanders collectively lifting a vehicle to save a trapped person. Understanding these dynamics explains why individuals in crowds conform to the group's prevailing mood, whether constructive or destructive.
What earns the marks
- Define collective behaviour as the actions of a group of people who have gathered together for a specific purpose.
- Identify deindividuation as a key psychological mechanism that alters individual behaviour within a crowd.
- Recognise examples of anti-social collective behaviour, such as looting or aggressive mob actions.
- Recognise examples of pro-social collective behaviour, such as peaceful campaigning or coordinated rescue efforts.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Assuming crowd behaviour is always negative.
Put it right by recognising that crowds can engage in pro-social actions like peaceful protests or charity runs.
Confusing deindividuation with conformity.
Put it right by defining deindividuation as a loss of personal identity and responsibility, whereas conformity is yielding to group pressure.
Believing individuals in a crowd completely lose their free will.
Put it right by understanding that individuals are influenced by the crowd but still make choices, often guided by the group's emergent norms.
Exam tips
- When asked for examples of collective behaviour, ensure you can provide both a pro-social and an anti-social example.
- Use the term 'deindividuation' accurately to explain why individuals might act out of character when in a large group.
- Read scenario questions carefully to determine whether the crowd's behaviour is benefiting society (pro-social) or causing harm (anti-social).
Try the lesson
The start of the Social influence: 5.1.5 Understand the behaviour of crowds and the individuals within them and the effect of collective behaviour, including a. pro- and anti-social behaviour lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following is an example of anti-social collective behaviour?
Listen
Collective behaviour occurs when individuals act as part of a crowd, often behaving differently than they would alone. This shift is frequently driven by deindividuation, where anonymity reduces personal responsibility. The effect of collective behaviour manifests in two contrasting ways. Anti-social behaviour involves actions that harm others or disrupt society, such as rioting or vandalism. Conversely, crowds can also exhibit pro-social behaviour, which benefits others and society. Examples include peaceful demonstrations or bystanders collectively lifting a vehicle to save a trapped person. Understanding these dynamics explains why individuals in crowds conform to the group's prevailing mood, whether constructive or destructive. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Define collective behaviour as the actions of a group of people who have gathered together for a specific purpose. Identify deindividuation as a key psychological mechanism that alters individual behaviour within a crowd. Recognise examples of anti-social collective behaviour, such as looting or aggressive mob actions. Recognise examples of pro-social collective behaviour, such as peaceful campaigning or coordinated rescue efforts. A common slip: Assuming crowd behaviour is always negative. Instead, recognising that crowds can engage in pro-social actions like peaceful protests or charity runs. Exam tip: When asked for examples of collective behaviour, ensure you can provide both a pro-social and an anti-social example.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Deindividuation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Pro-social behaviour
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Anti-social behaviour
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Collective behaviour
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Deindividuation
- A key psychological mechanism where anonymity reduces personal responsibility and causes a loss of personal identity, altering individual behaviour within a crowd.
- Pro-social behaviour
- Actions that benefit others and society, such as peaceful demonstrations or bystanders collectively lifting a vehicle to save a trapped person.
- Anti-social behaviour
- Actions that harm others or disrupt society, such as rioting, vandalism, looting or aggressive mob actions.
- Collective behaviour
- The actions of a group of people who have gathered together for a specific purpose, often behaving differently than they would alone.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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