Read the classic study of panic in an emegency event by Johnson (1988). This study of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire is one of the most referenced studies on behavior. Find a good quote that illustrates Johnson’s findings about behavior during the evacuation. Do you think this is representative of behavior in other types of emergencies?

Human Behavior in Critical Incidents Part I (Convergence, Panic, Looting and the Disaster Myths)

Read or Review

Module 2: Human Behavior in Critical Incidents: overview, objectives and the following parts of the commentary:

Part 1: Popular Media and the 9/12 Syndrome

Part II: Common Misconceptions about Critical Incident Behavior: The Myth: Anti-Social Behavior

Part II: Common Misconceptions about Critical Incident Behavior: The Myth: Disaster Syndrome

Part II: Common Misconceptions about Critical Incident Behavior: The Myth: Panic

Perry, R. & Lindell, M. (2003). Understanding Citizen Response to Disasters with Implications for Terrorism, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 11 (2), 49-60. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.459.6534&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Quarantelli E.L. (2008). Conventional Beliefs Counterintuitive Realities, Social Research 75, 873-904. http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/handle/19716/4242/Article%20450%20for%20DSpace.pdf%7C?sequence=1

Looting After a Disaster: A Myth or Reality?, Natural Hazards Observer https://hazards.colorado.edu/uploads/observer/2007/mar07/mar07.pdf

Johnson, N. (1988). Fire in a Crowded Theater: An Investigation of the Emergence of Panic http://www.ijmed.org/articles/134/download/