ABSTRACT
There are consistencies among the various outbreaks of Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI) that show resemblances to the general symptoms of stress—a group of diffuse, undifferentiated changes in arousal and internal state. Social comparison, a theory developed to explain how people identify and evaluate their opinions, abilities and emotions, is described and suggested as a mechanism for the instigation and propagation of MPI. The specific features of MPI outbreaks, and the characteristics of the affected workers are examined in a social comparison framework. The question of why women are so overrepresented among those affected is also discussed.
