What causes mass hysteria?

Across several countries, there has been pandemonium at the supermarkets caused by the coronavirus situation. This is mass hysteria and it is occurring around the world. If you don’t have time to read through this post the summary is as goes: Take a deep breath. Think accurately and rationally. Use common sense.

Mass hysteria is known as epidemic hysteria, mass psychogenic illness, and mass sociogenic illness. According to a 1997 review of research by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, mass hysteria is “a constellation of symptoms suggestive of organic illness, but without an identifiable cause, that occurs between two or more people who share beliefs related to those symptoms.” It’s “seen as a social phenomenon involving otherwise healthy people.”

Mass hysteria, many believe, is linked to groupthink. It’s believed that groupthink increases as group cohesiveness increases. This may help to explain the psychological phenomenon of…