DRURY_British_Journal_of_Social_Psychology_MAY_2020_author_copy.pdf (205.41 kB)
COVID-19 in context: why do people die in emergencies? It’s probably not because of collective psychology
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 07:22 authored by John DruryJohn Drury, Stephen Reicher, Clifford StottNotions of psychological frailty have been evident in comments by journalists, politicians and others on public responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, there is the argument that collective selfishness, thoughtless behaviour, and over-reaction would make the effects of Covid-19 much worse. The same kinds of claims have been made previously in relation to other kinds of emergencies, such as fires, earthquakes and sinking ships. We argue that in these cases as well as in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, other factors are better explanations for fatalities -- namely under-reaction to threat, systemic factors, and mismanagement. Psychologizing disasters serves to distract from the real causes and thus from who might be held responsible. Far from being the problem, collective psychology in emergencies – including the solidarity and cooperation so commonly witnessed among survivors – is the solution, one that should be harnessed more effectively in policy and practice.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
British Journal of Social PsychologyISSN
0144-6665Publisher
Wiley-BlackwellExternal DOI
Issue
3Volume
59Page range
686-693Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2020-06-29First Open Access (FOA) Date
2020-06-29First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2020-06-25Usage metrics
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