Social Proof: Why Do We Follow Trends?

Having spent five years in my career popularising fashion products, I know what “The Next Big Thing” catchphrase means to the core. In marketing and commerce, being an up-to-date trendsetter and working in line with the bandwagon effect is a must-have. Apart from the fact that it propels you miles ahead of your competitors, it also infuses your industry with a sense of mobility. In a word, popular trends are what moves the world forward.

By default, we're drawn to the novel, to what erupts in popularity, to that which fills us with an air of change, renewal and, oftentimes, progress. There's nothing wrong with pacing along with the crowd... But I'm fed up with those that earn a place at the Social Media Influencing pantheon overnight being carbon copies of one another. I'm done with dull feeds of uninspired homogeneity that falls in a fabricated, creativity-free black hole driven by a bunch of foolish challenges, vanity metrics, and a desire to be liked and worshipped.

The possibility of losing your original identity goes hand in hand with commercialism. And hereby the question arises. Is losing your flurry of uniqueness and individuality worth it?

In this article, I don't intend to demonise the trendy lifestyle. I just wish to delve deeper into its hellish pit and understand it. What makes the mainstream so enticing, and why do people follow the crowd? It's called Social Proof.

The notion of social proof

Let's break down the psychology of trends that persuasion expert, Robert Cialdini, has developed in his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Cialdini holds that someone who is unaware of the proper codes of conduct at particular situations will emulate what others are doing as reference and guidance for their own actions. Inevitably, this imitative behaviour will hijack cognition — it's a mental shortcut that releases you from the need to judge, process and figure things out yourself. Cialdini's concept emphasises the power that social influence and persuasion techniques have on our decision making, which is also known as the Informational Social Influence Theory.

Adopting trends of any kind seems to be an essential variable contributing to our pursuit of acceptance and social proof. Ahh, social proof — at some point we all have surrendered to its powerful pull, haven't we? Perhaps we’ve chosen TikTok sound effects over the old-time classics; been carried along by the momentum of hot trends on Instagram and picked the tiny clear back bag, where its barely fitted contents are all exposed, over the plain black one; or simply joined the queue at the grocery store without knowing if we're in the right line.

The psychological mechanisms behind following trends is identical to that of supporting a sports team, a political figure, or being a fan of a band. It’s a form of tribalism. It gives humans, what I term, a senseless sense of belonging. We unconsciously stick within a particular group which we view as our safety cocoon. Being on-trend makes us feel secure and relevant. It also offers a way to frame, categorise and grasp the world surrounding us. In many cases, this is basic human nature. (Check my article on Cognitive Bias for more).

But what activates social proof in the first place?

The psychological causes of social proof

FOMO

The fear of missing out can make someone prone to bandwagon thinking. An example is when someone sees others taking investment opportunities, which encourages this very person to act the same way, even if they’re having doubts whether such investing moves are beneficial or risk-free.

Normative social influence

This type of influence is associated with the tendency to conform to other's will out of an inherent need to fit in and earn approval. Julia Coultas, a researcher at the University of Essex, asserts that

[f]or an individual joining a group, copying the behaviour of the majority would then be a sensible, adaptive behaviour. A conformist tendency would facilitate acceptance into the group and would probably lead to survival if it involved the decision, for instance, to choose between a nutritious or poisonous food, based on copying the behaviour of the majority.

Indeed, when everyone eats the red fruit, then it's likely to be edible. Accordingly, if no one is munching on the purple seeds, they're probably poisonous.

Let's take a closer look at what constitutes social proof (or else, group consensus).

The 4 Principles of Social Proof

Uncertainty

Uncertainty is the fuel that powers through and drives social proof. When confronted with unfamiliar circumstances, an unsure individual would mimic or turn to other people for guidance. Imagine you're having an Induction Day at your very first job. No matter how prepared you walk in, nothing appears to be the same in practice. As a result, you pay close attention to the behaviour and movements of others around you to carry out your assigned tasks.

Similarity

Added on the list of social proof mechanisms in social psychology is similarity. An ambivalent observer will embrace the values and perceptions of others, mainly their peers, who are seen to be relatable and similar to themselves. Community, gender, age, physical appearance, and common interests are some factors on which the perception of similarity may be grounded.

Expertise

Some people are not self-trusting and would rather not think for themselves. In such instances, social influence becomes more powerful and heuristic when its representatives are people of authority, or are deemed as more informed about a situation than the observer is.

Number

Cialdini concludes that we're conditioned to follow the herd, i.e., the majority — it’s a survival trait whereby we're wired to believe it's safer and costs us less energy. It appears that the greater the number of agents who present a standpoint as correct, the more likely for the observer to accept it as such.

As he contends,

Whether the question is what to do with an empty popcorn box in a movie theater, how fast to drive on a certain stretch of highway, or how to eat the chicken at a dinner party, the actions of those around us will be important in defining the answer.

This grants television, radio, and other media more prevalence to influence the masses. The same idea proposed by various sources assumes more currency in the consciousness of a person who is unsure on how to register the information; a phenomenon also known as the multiple source effect.

The 4 places we find social proof

Social Interactions

Influence can be the guiding force to navigate social interactions in appropriate ways. Through it, we're able to shield ourselves from committing actions that would dispraise, marginalise, or throw us below standard societal expectations.

In his thought-provoking paper, Bandwagon Effect and Authority Bias, Jonathan Howard cites the renowned “Elevator Experiment” which

appeared on the TV show Candid Camera in 1962. In the episode titled Face the Rear […] unknowing individuals entered an elevator where everyone else was facing backwards. Despite this being a completely unnatural thing to do, many individuals ‘went with the crowd’ and rode the elevator facing away from the doors.

When going against the grain doesn't seem to be a choice, huh? The specific form of social influence arrives in variants and can be easily applied to other life scenarios — from something as simple as purchasing a fidget spinner (so 2017, right?) to the complexity that dominates the topic of vaccinations.

Entertainment

Entertainment is not exempt from the workings of social proof. A living proof of it which Cialdini mentions is the efficacy of canned laughter in making an audience laugh harder at jokes they wouldn't normally find humorous.

In response to the above observation, Howard notes that

The bandwagon effect may [...] affect people not just with a specific decision, but with regard to the overall culture and work environment. Group attitudes and norms are ‘contagious.’ We are unconsciously influenced by the attitudes and behaviours of those around us. We have all found ourselves in an unpleasant group before, perhaps one of many angry airline passengers waiting for a delayed flight. The tension can be palpable, and we may find our own anxiety rising in response to that of the strangers next to us. Similarly, experiences such as sporting events and performances are enjoyable largely because the excitement of the crowd spreads to us all.

Marketing

The concept of social proof has always been one of the most trusted means of scaling a business and converting people into returning customers of a product or service. Replacing stock with tag lines such as “9 out of 10 scientists recommend…”, “5 of the most popular…”, or “100,000 people can’t be wrong”, marketers can boost their visibility and credibility, while maximising their chances of ensuring loyal buyers.

The Treatment of Disorders

Social proof can be productively used in overcoming phobias. Not surprisingly, it's a method often implemented by therapists and healthcare practitioners. For example, adults who experienced a traumatic event and are afraid of dogs have managed to conquer their fear by observing others playing safely with dogs; or even by simply watching clips of several people interacting with them.

How to use the bandwagon effect

Fast fashion seems to be the leading culprit in the reinforcement of the bandwagon effect. Why? Because it has always been tribal: a way to gesture to the world who you are and what you represent — uniform dressing and popularity cues that filter down to consumers laid out for mass consumption.

Trends under the lure of bandwagon consumption spread like wildfire throughout the blogger and influencer community. But when people appear to be interpreting them in the exact same mode, it’s high time we burned them down. The point is to tap into trends to express individuality and stand out rather than just blend in.

Cialdini argues that

Persons who go through a great deal of trouble or pain to attain something tend to value it more highly than persons who attain the same thing with a minimum of effort.

The second part of the quote reminds me of consumers who saunter in a store with a ‘throw away fashion’ kind of mentality, as I see them tossing away items once they grow bored of them and dive into the next seasonal trend.

To utilise the bandwagon effect in its utmost potential, it’s crucial to first understand what it is, why people experience it, and how it can impact them. Then, you should be able to evaluate a situation, and determine how to best use it to your advantage by filling in the following questionnaire I prepared for you:

• What outcome do I wish to achieve?

• Who is my target audience?

• Am I targeting just one group of people or multiple ones? If I’m attracting multiple groups, in what ways do they differ from one another on a cultural, professional, social and personal level?

• What underlying psychological mechanisms could lead my target audience to becoming victims of the bandwagon effect? For instance, are people in the target group likely to experience the bandwagon effect because they depend on other people’s judgements?

• How will my target audience respond to the different stimuli and signs of social proof that I positively use to generate a trend? Do I need to take inventory of the approaches my target audience will respond to favourably, and those which they will respond to negatively (and why)?

One of the most subtle answers I received from a poll I ran on my personal social networks was this:

Evidently, the user has managed to strike a balance between the trend itself and their own personal touch, swaying the bandwagon effect in their favour.

Therefore, it's a good idea to reach out to your followers or search for case studies and existing research to gather the perspectives, insights, ratings and reviews you need to structure your bandwagon effect accordingly.

Conclusion

Modern trends tend to be manufactured pretentious and transient, but they leverage this embedded psychological force of Social Proof. And you may ask, what can I do to reverse the detrimental effects of the bandwagon effect and allow my distinctive self to prevail?

Well, begin to hold yourself accountable for your decisions. Visualise the consequences of your actions and come up with alternatives. Lie somewhere in-between instead of forcing yourself to choose one of the two extreme poles: either the pro-bandwagon-ist or the anti-bandwagon-ist.

Identification of what causes your bandwagon effect should be your starting point. Remember that despite the bandwagon effect being problematic, its signals aren’t necessarily wrong. So, you better assess them properly rather than dismissing them without consideration.

---