FALSE CONSENSUS EFFECT, PHYSICAL AGGRESSION, ANGER, AND A WILLINGNESSTO ESCALATE A DISTURBANCE

The present investigation sought to establish the relationships betwee n two measures of aggression and both subjects' self-reported attracti on to fights and likelihood that they would join in a crowd disturbanc e. Subjects were adult males (N = 63) interviewed at an ice hockey gam e. Tests of the false consensus effect [Ross et al. (1977): Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 13:279-301] were also undertaken, Phys ical aggression and anger bore strong, positive correlations with subj ects' liking to watch the fights and the likelihood of their escalatin g a crowd disturbance, Support for the false consensus effect was foun d insofar as those attracted to the fights and those who would escalat e a disturbance estimated a disproportionately greater number of other spectators were similarly attracted to fights and would take similar action, The implications for unruly crowd behaviors were discussed. (C ) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.