At the end of a night-time fireworks display, thousands of spectators begin leaving a field under low safety lighting. Beside one temporary barrier, most people in a tightly packed group start climbing underneath it instead of using the marked exit. Spectators reaching the area follow them. When stewards try to close the shortcut, some people in the group push the barrier and shout insults. In another part of the field, spectators continue to queue at the marked exit.
Explain, using situational factors, how the setting at the fireworks display contributed to the spectators' behaviour.
76 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Psychology 4.2 Theories/Explanations, covering 4.2.1 Situational factors on conformity and crowds, 4.2.2 Situational factors on culture and obedience; criticisms, 4.2.3 Situational Factors research study: Bickman (1974), 4.2.4 Dispositional factors on conformity, crowds, morality, obedience, 4.2.5 Brain in dispositional factors; criticisms, and 4.2.6 Dispositional Factors research study: NatCen (2011). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.