Mass hysteria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mass hysteria — other names include collective hysteria, mass psychogenic illness, or collective obsessional behavior — is the sociopsychological phenomenon of the manifestation of the same or similar hysterical symptoms by more than one person. A common manifestation of mass hysteria occurs when a group of people believe they are suffering from a similar disease or ailment.[1]
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[edit] Characteristics
Mass hysteria typically begins when an individual becomes ill or hysterical during a period of stress.[2] After this initial individual shows symptoms, others begin to manifest similar symptoms, typically nausea, muscle weakness, fits or headache.[3]
The features of mass hysteria include no plausible cause found, ambiguous symptoms, rapid escalation of cases - often spread by line of sight - and rapid remission of symptoms. Demographically, cases are higher in females and those with greater use of medical services. Other factors that contribute to the severity of the symptoms and spread are protective clothing worn by emergency services and mistaken or misleading investigations.
Sightings of religious miracles are often attributed to mass hysteria.[1]
[edit] See also
- Bandwagon effect
- Collective behavior
- Collective effervescence
- Conversion syndrome
- Crowd psychology
- Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay
- Folie à deux
- Group behaviour
- Herd behavior
- Hysterical contagion
- Mean world syndrome
- Moral panic
- Witch-hunt
[edit] Specific examples
- Dancing mania (e.g. Dancing Plague of 1518)
- Fan death
- London Monster
- The Mad Gasser of Mattoon
- Morangos com Açúcar
- New Delhi monkeyman
- Penis panic
- Spring Heeled Jack
- The Halifax Slasher
- Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic
- The leaflet of Villejuif, mass panic after false rumours of carcinogens in common foods
- The War of The Worlds mass hysteria during the radio broadcast - people believed it was a real invasion by Martians
