Itani distinguished between the exterior and interior predator. Altmann and Altmann described an incident in which a leopard jumped from bushes into the midst of a baboon group and the baboons responded with "a flurry of animals running in several directions" while uttering "a sudden barrage of loud, plosive vocalizations." Human behavior in monster and catastrophe movies seems to be similar. As one British comedian satirized it, "Look, a monster, let’s run about aimlessly!" Is there any counterpart to this phenomenon in real human behavior?
Dear Glenn,
your question is very interesting. I do think that similar/comparable behavior can actually be observed in certain real-life situations in humans, for example in mass shooting events or similar kinds of terror attacks where the precise spatial origin(s)/localities etc. of the danger(s) (= perpetrators, physical events such as explosions etc.) is not immediately clear to a group of victims/targets such as a large crowd. The same may go for certain types of natural catastrophes, for instance earthquakes in not well trained/prepared populations where individuals may suddenly find themselves spatially surrounded by dangerous impacts/effects such as trembling structures, cracks in the ground, falling objects etc., so that there is no immediate escape obvious or possible.
Neither individual nor group-level human behavior seems to be evolutionary well adapted to such situations. I suspect the erratic group behavior you describe can be theoretically explained as chaotic behavior (i.e., in the mathematical sense of chaos theory) of conscious, complex adaptive systems (CAS) agents. Such bevahior usually seems to settle once escape routes or the precise origin of the danger become clearer. Then, a coordintated group response may set in. Prior to this stage, however, I think it is, indeed, the product of INDIVIDUAL conscious CAS agents responding by FLIGHT instinct to an unspecified/uncontrollable or quickly moving danger in a confined spatial setting.
It would be interesting, though, to ponder the question, why in apes, e.g., more adaptive (group) behavior has not evolved evolutionarily as such threats (for instance the leopard scenario you mention) would have been regularly encoutered in the wild.
Just my two cents worth, though...
PS: Does your question pertain to any specific research project you are currently pursuing?
Best,
Julius
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