A phenomenon in mob psychology where a large group spontaneously joins into a monolithic, like-minded alliance with a sole purpose. The alliance is neither deliberate nor planned, but results from the powerful human instinct to protect the community.
While traditional mob psychology focuses on how crowds become instantly disorderly and chaotic, mass formation theory demonstrates how crowds become instantly orderly and unified. The word "formation" is used to invoke the image of a flight formation of fighter jets: the jets move in perfect "formation" with each other, as if they are one.
Mass formations can be either positive or negative.
POSITIVE EXAMPLES -- A mob can spontaneously unite during a momentary crisis (fire, earthquake, etc) becoming a powerful force for combatting the crisis, and/or saving those imperiled by the crisis. Examples include a bucket brigade fighting a fire, or a human chain of people attempting to rescue someone who fell through thin ice.
NEGATIVE EXAMPLES -- A mob can join into a silent, angry wall of (temporarily) wordless and (temporarily) motionless hostility against a solitary individual. This community-wide anger can culminate with an entire village acting in a blind fury to punish, banish, or execute the offender.
Some Hollywood films included scenes with mass formations.
POSITIVE SCENES: "It's a Wonderful life," "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,"
NEGATIVE SCENES: "Home Alone," "Angels and Demons," "Game of Thrones."
While traditional mob psychology focuses on how crowds become instantly disorderly and chaotic, mass formation theory demonstrates how crowds become instantly orderly and unified. The word "formation" is used to invoke the image of a flight formation of fighter jets: the jets move in perfect "formation" with each other, as if they are one.
Mass formations can be either positive or negative.
POSITIVE EXAMPLES -- A mob can spontaneously unite during a momentary crisis (fire, earthquake, etc) becoming a powerful force for combatting the crisis, and/or saving those imperiled by the crisis. Examples include a bucket brigade fighting a fire, or a human chain of people attempting to rescue someone who fell through thin ice.
NEGATIVE EXAMPLES -- A mob can join into a silent, angry wall of (temporarily) wordless and (temporarily) motionless hostility against a solitary individual. This community-wide anger can culminate with an entire village acting in a blind fury to punish, banish, or execute the offender.
Some Hollywood films included scenes with mass formations.
POSITIVE SCENES: "It's a Wonderful life," "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,"
NEGATIVE SCENES: "Home Alone," "Angels and Demons," "Game of Thrones."
Queen Cersei's famous Walk of Shame in "Game of Thrones" was met with a mass formation of the citizens of King's Landing who jeered and threw garbage at her.
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A psychoanalytic term first described by Sigmund Freud. A defense mechanism employed to avoid true emotions. Reaction Formation occurs when person displays the opposite emotions of what he/she is really feeling. The avoidance of pain through psychological defense mechanisms. Can be done subconsciously.
When your girlfriend says, "I can't wait to move back to California." She really means, "I'm going to be completely heartbroken when I leave on December 22nd." By displaying the opposite emotion, she is utilizing reaction formation.
by sugarcube October 6, 2009
Get the Reaction Formation. mug.The term used for the gathering massive amounts of "free" items at local fast food stores, convenience stores, coffee shops, etc. so that you do not have to purchase the items at the grocery store.
This includes extra large handful of napkins, ketchup packets, sugar packets, extra BBQ sauce and so on.
This includes extra large handful of napkins, ketchup packets, sugar packets, extra BBQ sauce and so on.
We ran out of paper towels, so we're going to head to Taco Bell and do a little urban foraging for napkins.
by JHigz November 21, 2009
Get the Urban Foraging mug.An on-going advocacy of around 2 billion armchair world government advocates through the worldwide web and using a public document entitled "The Globalist Manifesto" as their common rallying point. The goal is to hasten the emergence of a world government.
Formation of global government is a vision being advocated by illuminati groups, new world order groups, second coming of Christ groups, the Globalist Manifesto Party, the Zionist groups, the Baha'i groups, the Muslim Mahdi groups and the UN Reformists groups.
by James W. Fitzgerald February 5, 2008
Get the formation of global government mug.A contraction of "for" and "that": "for that". The media has blitzed us with the phrase "for that". It has become so common to link the word that it has created its own contraction.
by R00ST3R January 27, 2010
Get the fodat mug.An event in which a large number of short films and/or skits made by Dom Fera is watched in a row. Ferathons can be extremely exhausting and taxing due to the constant muscle cramps from laughter and should be untertaken at your own risk.
by WriterGirl21 August 26, 2011
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