Bandwagon bias is social proof

Humans are social beings and so the “herd instinct” of wanting to fit in with others who are part of our group or that we admire can have a powerful effect on our ability to think clearly.

Another mental shortcut that has a knack for producing false positives is bandwagon bias. Also known as “herding” or “cascades,” the bandwagon effect arises from social influences on our mental processes.^[1]

We tend to define correct behavior according to what we see others doing:

To discover why popularity is so effective, we need to understand the nature of yet another potent lever of influence: the principle of social proof. This principle states that we determine what is correct by finding out what other people think is correct. Importantly, the principle applies to the way we decide what constitutes correct behavior. We view an action as correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it.^[2]

#bias #sociology

See also:

• Confirmation Bias defends one's assumptions