Hamid is a 9-1-1 operator. When the blizzard began, he was told he would have to stay and work three extra shifts to cover for coworkers who were not able to drive to work through the storm. After 32 hours of exhausting work, he makes it home and discovers he is unable to fall asleep no matter how hard he tries. Hamid may be experiencing .

Not all members of the radio audience of orson welles' war of the worlds broadcast panicked immediately. indeed, some didn't panic until they looked out of the window and saw empty streets; others didn't panic until they saw streets full of traffic. it was after checking out the situation that these citizens decided that the martians had indeed invaded earth. this example illustrates that contagion can result when people look to others for the interpretation of ambiguous situations . can result when cultural norms reinforce people's most likely responses. occurs primarily because humans are by nature irrational creatures. is especially likely when people are motivated to make independent decisions.