Gregariousness : a critical examination of the concept of the gregarious instinct

Abstract

The concept of a gregarious or herd instinct has received varied treatment at the hands of different writers, and investigators. McDougall, Jung, MacCurdy, Jelliffe, Shand, Tansley, Bandler, Watson, Colvin, James, Preyer, Schneider, Trotter, Alverdes, Bagley, Thorndike, Kirkpatrick, Warren, Woodworth, Hocking, etc., variously accept and use the concept. Bernard, in his "Instinct" shows in a tabulated form that no less than 65 writers, in no less than 71 books, make use of a social instinct. Bernard "Instinct" p.199 (preceding list partly after Bernard.) Thus, we see that the concept of a herd instinct has been extensively adopted and is used by many highly reputable writers. Also, we may add, it is accepted generally by the layman. Many of the writers mentioned have, of course, merely followed others in their use of the postulate, and Trotter Trotter "Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War." seems to be the only one who has attempted a sustained treatment of the gregarious instinct. Again, writers like Alverdes Alverdes "Social Life in the Animal World." simply postulate the herd instinct and describe social animals as those who are actuated by a gregarious instinct.