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The dynamics of audience applause.
Richard P Mann1, Jolyon Faria, David J T Sumpter
1Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75106, Sweden. rmann@math.uu.se
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|June 21, 2013
Summary
Social contagion drives applause, with behavior spreading based on group participation, not proximity. Individual differences in clapping initiation and cessation also influence the spread of social behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Social psychology
- Crowd behavior
- Mathematical modeling
Background:
- Social identity and crowd psychology explore how individuals alter behavior within groups.
- New behaviors can emerge and rapidly spread through a group.
- Mathematical models for social contagion exist but lack empirical testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test mathematical models of social contagion against empirical data.
- To understand the spread of a simple social behavior: applause.
- To investigate factors influencing the initiation and cessation of applause.
Main Methods:
- Bayesian model selection was employed to test hypotheses.
- The study analyzed applause behavior after academic presentations.
- Individual clapping probability was correlated with the number of 'infected' audience members.
Main Results:
- The probability of initiating applause increased with the number of people already clapping, irrespective of proximity.
- Applause cessation is socially mediated, influenced by reluctance to clap excessively.
- Consistent individual differences in starting and stopping clapping were observed.
Conclusions:
- A social contagion model accurately predicts applause dynamics.
- Audience clapping duration can vary significantly due to social factors, not just presentation quality.
- This research provides empirical validation for social contagion models.
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