No. 92 · People · Human Nature and Judgement
Social Proof
When we are unsure what to do, we copy what other people are doing.
In the Almanac
“Looking up in New York”, 1968 · “Opower”, 2007–2016
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Social Proof?
Social Proof is our tendency to follow the behaviour of others, especially in uncertain situations. When we don't know what to do, we assume the crowd knows best, which is why more passers-by stopped to stare up when bigger groups were already looking.
How do you use Social Proof?
To use it, choose your crowd on purpose to build healthier habits, and question purchases driven purely by hype. When encouraging others, highlight what most people already do. The crowd can be wrong, so treat it as one signal among many.
When does Social Proof matter?
Social Proof is one of the 60 mental models for people, the situations where you ask: Why do people act as they do, and how do I work with them? Within that, it belongs to “Persuading and influencing”, alongside Anchoring, Backfire Effect and Bait and Switch.
What is an example of Social Proof?
Two stories show it at work: Looking up in New York (1968) and Opower (2007–2016). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Social Proof?
Bandwagon Effect, Groupthink and Bystander Effect. Social Proof itself comes from human nature and judgement.