6 ms·

I seem to remember similar stories, and maybe even a study, saying that people in emergencies tend to behave far more cooperatively and relaxed than one might t

I seem to remember similar stories, and maybe even a study, saying that people in emergencies tend to behave far more cooperatively and relaxed than one might think/fear. The examples of disasters that were caused by or worsened by crowd behavior, such as mass panics or people clogging emergency exits, also seem to involve cognitive failures more than selfishness. Sorry for not having any citations.

saalweachter 9y ago
I'll note that in these cases, you have a well-trained flight crew who is clearly in charge. That has to help a lot.
digi_owl 9y ago
There is also a known cognitive issue with how a crowd will look to each other for for someone else to take the initiative in an emergency. at our core we are still pack/herd animals. And if anyone has tried to herd, say, sheep one quickly learn to keep track of the one(s) in front. Where they go the rest of the herd goes basically without question.
Retric 9y ago
I have been in a few minor emergencies and the most striking thing is feeling this absolute calm. It almost feels like a robot with a focus on survival is taking over.
- aoner 9y ago
  I’ve had a gun at me point blank and my time perception changed completely. I could slowly take my time to figure out the best strategy and it helped me to escape. I think 3 seconds of time felt around 20 seconds. The experience is called tachypshycia and I think some people doing lsd also experience something similar ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachypsychia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachypsychia ). It happens during our fight or flight response probably due to a combination of high levels of dopamine and norepinephrin.
  - locusm 9y ago
    In 1988 I had a Spanish Military police team wake me up (in a camper van) and point their automatic rifles at us. I know exactly what you mean.
  - jessaustin 9y ago
    I experienced this the first time I shot a deer with a bow. I swear the arrow took 5 seconds to get there.
    - ganeshkrishnan 9y ago
      Why would you shoot animals with an arrow? Sounds unnecessarily cruel to me
      - sawjet 9y ago
        It's possible he lives somewhere where firearms are heavily restricted. Or for noise reasons (close to a city/hearing preservation)
      - jessaustin 9y ago
        It would be crueler to butcher or consume them without killing them first? I'm not sure what you're looking for, here. We were talking about tachypsychia.
munificent 9y ago
> people clogging emergency exits, also seem to involve cognitive failures more than selfishness. Right, the problem with crowd crush is that the people causing the crush are at the fringes aren't able to see the results that their aggregate forces are causing to people deep in the crowd.
flashman 9y ago
A good citation for this phenomenon is Amanda Ripley's book "The Unthinkable", especially the chapter on the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire.[1] In that fire, entire tables of guests were found dead because they had come to a group decision to remain where they were, while other tables decided to get up and leave early. People in emergencies only respond effectively if they've received training and can cope, or if they're being competently instructed during the emergency. Otherwise, they become extremely passive and compliant. That's the role of cabin personnel: to be enforcers and make people do what they say. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Supper_Club_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Supper_Club_fire
- kqr 9y ago
  In relation to this, fire alarms generally aren't as reliable indicators of fire as seeing the fire itself, or at least direct secondary effects such as thick smoke. Yet their function is crucial: they make it socially acceptable to head for the door in a situation where it may not otherwise have been, even with the sighting of actual smoke.

saalweachter 9y ago

I'll note that in these cases, you have a well-trained flight crew who is clearly in charge. That has to help a lot.

digi_owl 9y ago

There is also a known cognitive issue with how a crowd will look to each other for for someone else to take the initiative in an emergency. at our core we are still pack/herd animals. And if anyone has tried to herd, say, sheep one quickly learn to keep track of the one(s) in front. Where they go the rest of the herd goes basically without question.

Retric 9y ago

I have been in a few minor emergencies and the most striking thing is feeling this absolute calm. It almost feels like a robot with a focus on survival is taking over.

aoner 9y ago
I’ve had a gun at me point blank and my time perception changed completely. I could slowly take my time to figure out the best strategy and it helped me to escape. I think 3 seconds of time felt around 20 seconds. The experience is called tachypshycia and I think some people doing lsd also experience something similar ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachypsychia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachypsychia ). It happens during our fight or flight response probably due to a combination of high levels of dopamine and norepinephrin.
- locusm 9y ago
  In 1988 I had a Spanish Military police team wake me up (in a camper van) and point their automatic rifles at us. I know exactly what you mean.
- jessaustin 9y ago
  I experienced this the first time I shot a deer with a bow. I swear the arrow took 5 seconds to get there.
  - ganeshkrishnan 9y ago
    Why would you shoot animals with an arrow? Sounds unnecessarily cruel to me
    - sawjet 9y ago
      It's possible he lives somewhere where firearms are heavily restricted. Or for noise reasons (close to a city/hearing preservation)
    - jessaustin 9y ago
      It would be crueler to butcher or consume them without killing them first? I'm not sure what you're looking for, here. We were talking about tachypsychia.

munificent 9y ago

> people clogging emergency exits, also seem to involve cognitive failures more than selfishness. Right, the problem with crowd crush is that the people causing the crush are at the fringes aren't able to see the results that their aggregate forces are causing to people deep in the crowd.

flashman 9y ago

A good citation for this phenomenon is Amanda Ripley's book "The Unthinkable", especially the chapter on the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire.[1] In that fire, entire tables of guests were found dead because they had come to a group decision to remain where they were, while other tables decided to get up and leave early. People in emergencies only respond effectively if they've received training and can cope, or if they're being competently instructed during the emergency. Otherwise, they become extremely passive and compliant. That's the role of cabin personnel: to be enforcers and make people do what they say. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Supper_Club_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Supper_Club_fire

kqr 9y ago
In relation to this, fire alarms generally aren't as reliable indicators of fire as seeing the fire itself, or at least direct secondary effects such as thick smoke. Yet their function is crucial: they make it socially acceptable to head for the door in a situation where it may not otherwise have been, even with the sighting of actual smoke.