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Interaction of natural survival instincts and internalized social norms exploring the Titanic and Lusitania disasters

  1. Benno Torgler b , c , 1
  1. aInstitute for Empirical Research in Economics, University of Zurich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland;
  2. b Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland; and
  3. cSchool of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia

  1. Edited by William J. Baumol, New York University, New York, NY, and approved January 21, 2010 (received for review October 26, 2009)

Abstract

To understand human behavior, it is important to know under what conditions people deviate from selfish rationality. This study explores the interaction of natural survival instincts and internalized social norms using data on the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania. We show that time pressure appears to be crucial when explaining behavior under extreme conditions of life and death. Even though the two vessels and the composition of their passengers were quite similar, the behavior of the individuals on board was dramatically different. On the Lusitania, selfish behavior dominated (which corresponds to the classical homo economicus); on the Titanic, social norms and social status (class) dominated, which contradicts standard economics. This difference could be attributed to the fact that the Lusitania sank in 18 min, creating a situation in which the short-run flight impulse dominated behavior. On the slowly sinking Titanic (2 h, 40 min), there was time for socially determined behavioral patterns to reemerge. Maritime disasters are traditionally not analyzed in a comparative manner with advanced statistical (econometric) techniques using individual data of the passengers and crew. Knowing human behavior under extreme conditions provides insight into how widely human behavior can vary, depending on differing external conditions.

Footnotes

  • 1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: benno.torgler{at}qut.edu.au.

  • Author contributions: B.S.F., D.A.S., and B.T. performed research; B.S.F., D.A.S., and B.T. analyzed data; and B.S.F., D.A.S., and B.T. wrote the paper.

  • The authors declare no conflict of interest.

  • This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.

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