Panic, Irrationality, and Herding: Three Ambiguous Terms in Crowd Dynamics Research
Table 2
Reduced comments on the term irrationality and their frequency among the original quotes.
No.
Comment
Frq.
Discipline
Study type
Soc.
Phys.
Bio.
Mod.
Emp. Test.
Conc.
1
Irrational behaviour is a symptom of panic
10
9
1
0
1
1
9
2
Herding is a sign of irrational behaviour
4
1
3
0
3
0
1
3
Choosing familiar exits is a sign of irrational behaviour
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
4
People can maintain rationality during crises
3
0
3
0
2
1
1
5
Irrationality means deciding randomly
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
6
Rationality is associated with evacuation efficiency
7
3
3
1
3
0
5
7
Irrationality is not an accurate theory for evacuation behaviour
9
9
0
0
0
2
9
8
Irrationality theory has significant implications for crowd management
6
6
0
0
0
0
6
9
Measuring rationality requires a reference point
3
3
0
0
0
0
3
10
What seems irrational act, may be individual’s best perceived course of action
7
6
1
0
0
2
6
11
Irrationality lacks a clear definition
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
“Frq.” indicates frequency “Soc.”, “Phys.”, and “Bio.”, respectively, indicate social sciences, physical sciences, and biological sciences. “Mod.”, “Emp. Test.”, and “Conc.”, respectively, indicate modelling, empirical testing, and conceptualisation.
