![]() No matter how individual we think we are, we all have an inherent desire to conform. ![]() An educator convinced that schools are in decline will not necessarily act on this information fearing objections. By the same token, a belief formed through extensive personal experience- one that is very hard may elicit little action. A belief based solely on social proof -one that is extremely soft- may generate wild passions, as when a student participates fervently in a revolutionary movement whose program she has never read. All such methods constitute direct appeals to social proof.the softness or hardness of a belief must not be confused with its power, which is its potential influence over behaviour. ![]() Other methods of exaggeration include dwelling on biased polls and overstating the size of a demonstration. Of course, the claim embodied in such a phrase may harbor much exaggeration. In Private Truths, Public Lies, Timur Kuran writes of the influence on social proof on groups:Ī phrase like ‘the American way’ when uttered on behalf of a particular agenda, signals that most Americans, or at least most respectable Americans agree on what is appropriate. This is known as implicit egotism and linked to the mirror neurons in our brains. When people relate to those around them (due to gender, class, race, shared interests, and other commonalities) they mimic each other’s behavior with greater care. The more uncertain we feel, the more susceptible we are to social proof.Ī further key factor is the similarity we see between ourselves and the people around us. No one likes to be confused about what to do in a situation where other people are around to witness any blunders. We will look at one of the worst examples further on in this post. ![]() In extreme cases, it can lead to groups of people becoming violent or antisocial. Secondly, social proof can be manipulated to guide us towards choices we would not otherwise make. This is also known as groupthink or herd behavior. Firstly, groups of people can reach conclusions which are suboptimal or even outright wrong. Social proof can be problematic for two main reasons. At the more consequential end of the spectrum, we rely on social proof to inform moral choices- whether to assist an inebriated football enthusiast who falls on the sidewalk or step forward as a whistleblower. Social proof? Simple idea, really: it boils down to ‘seeing is believing.’… We use social proof to decide how to dispose of an empty popcorn box in a movie theater, how fast to drive on a highway, or whether to tackle that fried chicken or corn on the cob with our hands at a dinner party. Analogously, the social system is the catalyst between all the stuff we know versus what actually alters our behavior and mental maps. In The Power of Positive Deviance, Richard Pascale explains social proof:Ī well-known principle of chemistry establishes that active ingredients can be mixed together with little effect until a third ingredient- often an innocuous catalyst- triggers a chemical synthesis. It affects us both in public and in private. Social proof is especially prevalent in ambiguous or unfamiliar conditions, or in big groups. It can be easy to assume that everyone else has a better grasp of what to do in a given situation. It occurs as a result of our natural desire to behave in the correct manner and fit in with others. This psychological concept is known as social proof. When we feel uncertain, we all tend to look to others for answers as to how we should behave, what we should think and what we should do. We never quite leave behind that tendency to look at others for clues. Except, of course, the majority of their peers feel equally unsure and are doing the exact same. Everyone else seems to know where to go, how to make new friends, what to do. ![]() Perhaps they imagine that everyone else was handed a manual they somehow missed. They are convinced that all the other students around them somehow know more about adulthood. “The five most dangerous words in business are: ‘Everybody else is doing it.'”Ĭonsider a university freshman, attempting to navigate the adult world for the first time. “Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.” ![]()
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