mass psychology
Group mind study
Mass psychology is the study of how people think, feel, and behave when they are part of large groups or crowds.
The field examines phenomena like mob mentality, panic, propaganda susceptibility, and how individual judgment can be overwhelmed by collective emotion.
Mass psychology is often invoked to explain sudden shifts in public opinion, financial market bubbles, or the spread of social movements.
Understanding mass psychology helps explain why rational people sometimes make irrational decisions in crowds.
- crowd behaviorActions of assembled masses
- groupthinkConformity-driven poor decisions
- mob mentalityCollective irrationality in groups
- hive mindUnified group consciousness
- conformityAdherence to norms
crowd · deindividuation · cult following · leadership styles · propaganda · fear mongering · emotional contagion · social contagion · obedience · media influence · public opinion · polarization · social proof · herd instinct · manipulation · charisma · rally cry · peer pressure
- Orgone TheoryWilhelm Reich, Reich, body armor, life energy, character analysis
- crowd scenescrowd shots, mob scenes, throngs, multitudes, spectators
- ideologyideology, worldview, belief system, values, collectivism
- collective mindhive mind, hivemind, collective consciousness, collective intelligence, swarm intelligence
mass psychologypsychoanalysis
Treatment via unconscious exploration
introspection · case study · depth psychology · clinical psychology · subjective experience
mass psychologyindependent thought
Self-directed reasoning
critical thinking · individual autonomy · nonconformity · contrarianism · rugged individualism