We are pleased to introduce the first keynote speaker of the Behaviour in Crisis Lab 2026 Annual Conference – Solidarity as a Social Response to an Era of Crisis. Our guest will be John Drury, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Sussex and one of the most internationally recognised scholars studying collective behaviour in crisis situations.

For many years, Professor John Drury has been analysing how societies respond to threats, crises, and emergency situations, with particular attention to the role of social identity, group norms, and interpersonal relations under conditions of extreme uncertainty. His research has made a significant contribution to the development of Mass Emergency Behaviour (MEB) – a field of crisis psychology that challenges widespread assumptions about panic, chaos, and irrationality in crowds during emergencies.

In his work, Professor Drury demonstrates that in many crises, contrary to popular narratives, people are more likely to respond through cooperation, solidarity, and mutual aid than through selfishness or social breakdown. His analyses cover a broad range of contexts, including social responses to disasters, infrastructure failures, and public health and humanitarian crises, most notably the COVID‑19 pandemic.

At the Behaviour in Crisis Lab 2026 Conference, Professor Drury will deliver a keynote lecture entitled “Collective Behaviour in Food Crises: Problems and Solutions”, focusing on the mechanisms of collective behaviour in crises related to food security. Drawing on historical examples as well as contemporary empirical research, he will discuss phenomena such as so‑called panic buying, alongside grassroots forms of organising support, including initiatives based on mutual aid and social solidarity.

He will also devote particular attention to the practical implications of MEB research, highlighting the role of crisis communication, the importance of trust, and the need to work collaboratively with local communities, rather than against them, in processes of crisis management.

Further information on Professor John Drury’s academic work is available on his profile:
👉 John Drury | About | University of Sussex

Abstract

In this talk, I outline what we know about collective behaviour in crises of food supply, using a number of historical and recent examples of ‘food riots’. My main examples come from a programme of research on public behaviour in the Covid 19 pandemic. Here, so-called 'panic buying' was a problem. In some communities, mutual aid groups organized food shopping and food supply for others. I look at possible solutions to the problems of 'panic-buying', focused on communication strategies and working with communities. I argue for the need to work with, not against, collectivist tendencies in the public during food crises.

Questions

• How does the public behave when there is a food crisis?
• What can be done to solve problems like so-called 'panic buying' in food crises?

👉John Drury | About | University of Sussex

Events - Behaviour in Crisis Lab - Strategic Program Excellence Initiative at the Jagiellonian University