So many of our activities involve crowds: religious ceremonies, festivals, sporting events, protests etc. It’s a good question, why do we like it so much?

I should mention that not everybody likes crowds and there are good reasons not to. This is just exploring why those who like them like them.

Theories from social psychologists put it down to a few key ideas: (1) crowds help foment a sense of identity through a sense of belonging in the social world, (2) crowds help us feel anonymous, loosening our inhibitions and self-awareness, (3) performing with or alongside a crowd can (sometimes) improve performance, (4) ‘collective effervescence’ (the coolest explanation).

1. Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1979)

Tajfel’s main idea was that the social groups in which you belong to are an important part of your identity. They are key to our sense of belonging in the social world and are important for the development of self-esteem. In the context of crowds, your identification with that group (through clothes, chants, music or anything) provides you with a sense of belonging and solidarity, both of which feel quite nice. 

Social Identity theory goes way beyond just crowds. It’s a really interesting concept in the development of the ‘us v. them’ human trait. Joshua Greene’s “Moral Tribes” tackles the idea in a modern context. Humans have spent most of our existence in small tribes that rarely interacted with others. He explores the issues that have arisen as the modern world has increasingly thrust us all together, pushing our ‘us v. them’ mentality to the limits.

2. Deindividuation Theory (Festinger, 1950s)

Festinger proposed that when in crowds, individuals feel more anonymous. This anonymity means we feel less accountable for our actions and less self-aware, meaning we end up doing things we wouldn’t normally do and feeling less self-conscious about it. This phenomenon can be seen in protests, riots, sports events; the anonymity of crowds allows us to release our inhibitions and do all the things we wouldn’t feel comfortable doing in normal society.

3. Social Facilitation (Triplett, 1898)

Triplett’s main idea was that people perform differently in the presence of others compared to when they are alone. The idea of ‘social facilitation’ is that when people are being watched by other people, their performance on tasks tends to improve (in certain conditions). You can see this phenomenon in athletes performing at the top level, workplace productivity (interesting how this would factor into the ‘work from home’ debate), performing arts, etc. 

I feel this theory’s relevance  will split opinion more because I feel like I do worse in front of a crowd, nerves and anxiety etc. His theory does factor in the potential negative impacts of people watching so I think this one is more individually specific than the others.

4. Collective Effervescence (Durkheim, 1912)

This theory I feel is the strongest. It also has the coolest name.

‘Collective Effervescence’ is the term Durkheim used to describe the powerful and exhilarating sense of togetherness that humans feel within a crowd. If you’ve ever been to a concert, sporting event, religious ceremony, festival, or anything else involving a big crowd, you may have felt some strange, slightly-euphoric sensation that makes you feel connected to the people around you. When felt on a large scale, these sensations are thought to serve as important sources of social cohesion, cultural identity, and collective meaning.

These theories are just a few key ideas floating regarding humans and their affinity for crowds. There are loads more other ideas and even more so when you extend out of psychology.