hIf Black Friday this year is anything like the past few years, otherwise sane people will temporarily lose it as they form frenzied—and even violent—mobs. Why? Humans are followers: A study published last week suggests that people fleeing an emergency follow the crowd—even if it’s going the wrong way. (Like, away from the exit signs.) The research is based on a computer game that put participants in a virtual emergency and had them choose an evacuation route based on different types of influence, including exit signs, prior knowledge of the building and the movement of others. This is hardly the first research showing that a “herd mentality” can make people doubt themselves or do dumb things—something its worth keeping in mind when shopping gets competitive. When confronted with a crowd—or just even a few others—people can be convinced to:
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:52:29 +0000
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