Final answer:
Collective behaviors are spontaneous, unstructured, and non-institutional, with different forms including crowds, masses, and publics. Theories explaining these behaviors include the emergent-norm perspective, the value-added theory, and the assembling perspective.
Step-by-step explanation:
Features found in most, if not all, collective behaviors such as panics, rumors, and riots include the following: spontaneous emergence, unstructured interactions, and a lack of institutional regulation. Instances of collective behavior, like flash mobs, represent non-institutionalized activities in which several people voluntarily participate without official guidance. This is contrary to behaviors structured by institutions. Other forms of collective behavior include crowds, masses, and publics. Crowds are gatherings in which individuals are physically close, masses encompass large numbers with a common interest but not in close proximity, and publics involve diffused groups sharing ideas. Three key theories in understanding collective behavior are the emergent-norm perspective, the value-added theory, and the assembling perspective. The emergent-norm perspective emphasizes that social norms guide crowd behavior. Value-added theory, rooted in functionalism, proposes several preconditions for such behavior to occur, including precipitating factors and mobilization for action. The assembling perspective discusses the processes of how crowds come together and the variety of encounters they may experience