Group behavior can impact choices and actions in human. Group behavior has evolved because membership can increase the chances of survival for individuals and their genetic relatives. Large groups of people acting simultaneously to achieve a goal is called herd behavior. Consider a large number of people in a stadium that catches on fire.
Small groups of individuals may find quick and safe exits from the stadium, while large groups of people attempting to escape in the same direction are often trampled, or even killed. Herd behavior is also known as neighbor copying. The dynamics of group behavior can also be seen when people join protests, especially when they turn into mobs.
Group behavior is very important to public health. Due to the spread of worldwide travel,
urbanization, and globalization, the spread of infectious disease is more of a risk than it has
ever been in the past. An epidemic occurs when the number of individuals who have
contracted an infectious disease is higher than expected within an area. A pandemic occurs when this happens on a global scale. The fear of epidemics and pandemics can have an impact on the behavior toward them. Understanding how individuals change their behavior in response to an epidemic threat is important when forming public health policies for infection control.
