👩‍👩‍👦intro to sociology review

Collective behavior

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Collective behavior is the spontaneous, unstructured, and temporary actions of a group of people in response to a specific situation or event. It is characterized by a shared sense of purpose or emotion among participants.

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