Praxis II: Sociology Exam Prep

Answer - D - Gustave LeBon developed contagion theory, explaining that crowds tend to powerfully influence their members.

Key Takeaway: LeBon’s theorized that a crowd, which is made up of many individuals, generally frees its members of any kind of personal responsibility or restraints. Because of this, individuals within crowds are free to go along with the collective mind of the crowd. This became known as contagion theory, in which the crowd’s thoughts and actions are “contagious,” spreading among its individuals.