The Intelligence of Mobs

The actions of angry mobs stick in our cultural memory — from lynchings in the south to the Rodney King riots. But what if such examples were really exceptions to the rule?

Recent scientific research claims to debunk the idea of the "mob mentality." The evidence suggests that people who congregate in large groups (at football games, protests, etc.) experience a surprisingly complicated relationship to each other. Members of a crowd tend to be rational and courteous rather than impulsive or senseless. Only under extreme or dangerous conditions might a crowd turn on itself.

The caveat of the research is that law enforcement's policy of aggressively containing large groups may do more harm than good. Such tactics tend to only increase the pressure on a crowd. And the alternative? Perhaps a mob is best left to itself.

New Scientist: Why cops should trust the wisdom of the crowds

(Photo by philippe leroyer via Flickr/Creative Commons)