Social Proof: Silly Reasons Why You Copy Others

Social proof is the psychological phenomenon when people copy the actions of others in choosing how to behave in a given situation. It was coined by Robert Cialdini in his 1984 bestseller. Social proof is used especially in ambiguous situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior. When it appears as if those around us know what to do, we tend to copy them. The effects can be small- and large-scale, from societal conformity to individuals copying individuals. Some refer to this as herd behavior.

Not only does social proof result in public compliance—conforming to the behavior of others publicly without necessarily believing or knowing it is correct—but private acceptance—conforming to a genuine belief that others are correct. It is more powerful when being accurate is important and when others are perceived as knowledgeable. This is because a core mechanism of social proof is uncertainty: when we don’t know what to do, we think others do, and follow. The mechanism is further reinforced when the person we perceive as an authority figure or knowledgeable someone is similar to us.

When we see those around us as alike us, we copy their behavior. This is group psych 101. The phenomenon has been noted in areas such as laugh tracks. They are exactly as they sound: participants are played laughing tracks when watching content. When the subjects perceive the people laughing to be similar to them, they laugh longer, louder, and harder. Analogically, we try to maintain the past actions of those kindred to us. One experiment showed this by providing a list of prior donators to people when persuading them to join a charity campaign. When the list was longer, the person solicited was more likely to donate. The trend was even more pronounced when the names on the list were people the donor knew.

The use of social proof pervades various industries, specifically entertainment, e-commerce, marketing, and social media. Theaters sometimes use confederate audience members that give ovations at pre-arranged times. Usually, these are people who clap first, and the rest of the audience follows suit. In television shows, studios have discovered that the use of pre-recorded laughing tracks increases the perceived “funniness” of a show. Even though most viewers find the laugh track annoying, research shows it works. In e-commerce, social proof takes the form of testimonials from previous customers. And it is perhaps most commonly exploited on social networks like Facebook and Instagram, where the number of followers, likes, shares, views, and comments positively affects how users interact with content. Users with millions of followers are perceived as more trustworthy and reputable than their smaller alternatives.

Real life implications of social proof:

• Marketing: user reviews, influencer endorsements, and “as seen on” badges build trust and drive purchases, since people trust others’ experiences, especially in online shopping where personal evaluation is not possible;

• Social media: viral posts with high like, share, and favorite scores attract more attention, since people assume the content highly valuable due to it’s popularity;

• Workplace: managers might model desired behaviors and encourage employees to follow suit, since employees often see leadership behavior as the standard;

• Education: schools highlight successful alumni to attract students, since aspirants believe they might replicate the fortunes of those past;

• Health campaigns: “X percent of people are already vaccinated!” campaigns encourage higher conformity rates, since individuals are highly influenced by the actions of their peers.

How you might use social proof as a thinking tool: (1) leverage existing crowds, highlighting the amount of people that already engage with your product or service to encourage others, like by displaying “most popular” tags in e-commerce or “most ordered dish” in restaurant menus; (2) provide testimonials, collecting and showcasing feedback from satisfied customers to build trust, like positive reviews on Amazon or case studies of early adopters; (3) use authority figures, associating your concept with recognized experts, like doctors to endorse health supplements or universities for education initiatives; (4) focus on similarity, showcasing how people “like them” have benefited from the choice, like fitness apps which put forth past transformations or local businesses featuring community members to create a sense of relatability; (5) display metrics, quantifying success if applicable to make it tangible, like Netflix’s “#1 in your country” or “over 5,000,000 copies sold”; (6) simulate demand, underlining scarcity or exclusivity, like “only 3 items left!” or mentioning multiple interested buyers in real estate.

Social proof works because humans are social creatures. We evolved to align with the group. When unsure, we look to others for guidance. We are more influenced by people like us. A behavior seems more credible if many are doing it. Uncertainty, similarity, and popularity come together, and we’re left relatively powerless. Powerless to endorsements from experts and authority figures, famous individuals, testimonials and reviews from past users, high numbers signifying trustworthiness, recommendations from peers or close circles, and approval from recognized authorities. At the core sits a shortcut to decision-making since we are unsure of what to do.

Of course, social proof can have its downsides. Herd mentality is no bueno. Over-reliance on social proof can lead to bad decisions, like financial bubbles where everyone follows the crowd. The credibility can be false—fake reviews do exist. Here’s how you might shield yourself from being manipulated: (1) ask critical questions, “Is this popular, or is it fabricated?” and “Is this optimal, or is it overrated?”; (2) focus on evidence, looking for facts beyond popularity indicators; (3) recognize context, as what’s appropriate for one group may not be for another.

Thought-provoking insights. “People don’t want to be the first to try, but they don’t want to be the last to adopt either.” underscores how key timing is when it comes to social proof. “Social proof reflects collective wisdom, but wisdom is not always correct.” reminds us how the crowd can indeed be wrong, like historical witch hunts driven by groupthink. “Social proof works best when you’re aware of it but still vulnerable to it.” marks how being conscious of it’s power doesn’t completely immunize you from its effects. Social proof is a cornerstone of influence. Leverage your instinct to follow the group. Shield yourself from falling prey to unwarranted conformity, while residing in groups you seek to conform to.