PANICKED MOBS: Mostly a media conceit, according to researchers:

More than 50 years of research on human behavior in disasters contradict “the panic myth,” Dr. Lee Clarke of Rutgers University said in an interview. He is an international authority on community response to disasters and civil-defense preparations.

Research shows that people behave in catastrophes much like they do in ordinary life – helping those nearby first before they help themselves, Dr. Clarke said. The empathy continues in the aftermath, with people connecting with one another to cooperate in rebuilding and recovering emotionally.

“We have five decades of research on all kinds of disasters: earthquakes, tornadoes, and airplane crashes, ” he said. “People rarely lose control,” he added, noting that human nature tends to shine brightest at such times.”

Dr. Clarke spoke at the annual national meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, being held here.

Media folks, on the other hand, seem much more prone to hysteria.