Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Post #3 Mass Hysteria

Salem witch trials | History & Causes | BritannicaMass hysteria occurs when a group  of people begin sharing the same emotion and then act on it (fear, excitement, etc.). The Salem Witch Trials are examples of mass hysteria. In 1691, The Salem Witch Trials began with 8 girls who were acting strangely. They were considered witches, and soon after, hundreds of individuals were being tried and some were even executed for being a  "witch." To me, this seems like the representative heuristic because the accused could have been chosen on a specific detail about themselves (gender, personality, wealth). It could also be the availability heuristic because the village went from believing 8 girls were witches to believing hundreds of people were witches (overreacting).

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