What does the term "collective behavior" refer to?

The term "collective behavior" refers to spontaneous and unstructured group behavior. This concept captures the way individuals come together to act in ways that are not prescribed or organized by societal norms or formal institutions. Collective behavior often manifests in various forms, such as crowds, social movements, fads, or riots, highlighting how people can engage in shared experiences and social actions in response to a common interest or situation.

In contrast, actions performed by individuals in isolation can be seen as the opposite of collective behavior, as they lack the group dimension that characterizes collective phenomena. Similarly, formalized actions directed by institutions and pre-planned actions by large organizations imply structured, predictable interactions that usually adhere to established norms or protocols, diverging from the spontaneous nature of collective behavior. Thus, the correct answer reveals the essence of how groups can mobilize and behave in less formalized and unpredictable ways in social contexts.