Beyond Contagion

British Science Festival

Crowds, riots, and 'contagious' behaviour

Crowds, riots, and 'contagious' behaviour

Does panic really ripple through a crowd? Why is laughter infectious? And how can we explain the spread of violence and aggression at riots? Explore the concept of contagion with social psychologist John Drury and get involved in interactive experiments that reveal how emotions, ideas and behaviour spread through crowds.

Crowds, riots, and contagious behaviour [PDF 470.37KB]