Abstract
Aim: Presentation of issues associated with numerical modelling of human behaviour in context of selected elements of crowd psychology.
Introduction: The article identifies a range of definitions and classification of human gatherings as well as crowd characteristics. Le Bon classic view of crowd behaviour is examined and narrowed down to two basic statements: First, a crowd is made up of a mass of people, of unified behaviour, which can be classified as active, expressive in communicating their attitudes and secondly, members of a crowd are likely to behave spontaneously, sometimes irrationally, with a loss of self control influenced by a sensation of complete anonymity. Attention was focussed on the behaviour of individuals, which occur in crowds, such as a loss of sense of individuality, psychological (mental) unity of individuals taking part in a gathering and instinctive decision making process. Certain behaviour patterns were identified with people taking part in gatherings, such as increased mimicry. Additionally, the article examined the appearance of panic in a crowd caused by anxiety about life threatening dangers, which generally lead to the emergence of two stances i.e. attempt an escape from the danger zone or enter into a state of indifference and numbness in face of danger. The subsequent part of the paper reveals current understanding of crowd behaviour, where a range of stereotypes identified in Le Bon’s classic concept are challenged. Models describing crowd behaviour, based on contemporary assumptions, are revealed in work titled Flashpoint Model, Elaborated Social Identity Model and The initiation-escalation model of collective violence. The discourse dealing with current knowledge about crowd psychology provided the foundation for a focus on numerical modelling of human behaviour for individuals in a crowd. Two approaches were put forward. One based on the laws of physics, where a crowd is treated as physical molecular liquid and agent-based modelling, where individuals in a crowd are treated as an autonomous entity actively perceiving the environment and making decisions according to predefined rules. The discourse involving different modelling approaches focussed attention on processes, which facilitate evacuation simulations involving crowds in a state of panic.
Methodology: Examination of selected aspects of crowd psychology in context of classical and contemporary perspectives provided a foundation for the presentation of current numerical modelling approaches dealing with the behaviour of people in large crowd gatherings.
Conclusions: In order to minimize the risk of danger to the life of people moving in a crowd, an attempt was made to illustrate a mathematical model dealing with the movement of people. Computer simulations based on such models facilitate the identification of critical stages along an escape route during an evacuation and their subsequent elimination through improvements to building plans, or by application of additional safety measures to existing buildings. The theory of crowd psychology has an impact on the development of evacuation simulations. It plays an important role, because it allows for the adaptation of procedures and stages of an evacuation in such a way so as to minimize the possibility of panic.
Keywords: crowd psychology, mathematical modelling of crowd behaviour, evacuation of people
Type of article: review article