CODEXCard 3 of 7 · 7 Principles of Influence
Social proof
When uncertain, we copy.
Social proof is the principle that, under uncertainty, we decide what is right by watching what other people do. Robert Cialdini describes it as one of the most powerful forces in everyday persuasion. If many people are choosing something, we assume they know something, and we follow.
Most of the time this is a sensible shortcut. Other people's choices often contain real information, and copying them saves time and effort. The trouble is that the signal can be manufactured or misleading. Long queues, review counts, bestseller badges and canned laughter on television can all nudge us, sometimes more strongly than direct evidence about the thing itself. Cialdini notes social proof is strongest when we feel unsure and when the people we see seem similar to us.
The mistake is assuming the crowd is always wrong. Often it is right, and ignoring it out of contrarian pride is its own error. The better question is whether the people you are copying are informed, or just copying each other. Read what reviewers actually say, look at who they are, and ask whether the popularity reflects real experience or simply hype.
Social proof connects to authority. Both are shortcuts that let other people's signals stand in for our own judgment.
Example
You are choosing between two plumbers. One has hundreds of five-star reviews, the other only a dozen. Reading the big profile, you notice most reviews are one word and posted on the same few days. The smaller profile's reviews describe specific jobs in detail, so you call that plumber instead.
Try it this week
Before your next purchase guided by ratings, read five detailed reviews and ask whether the reviewers actually used the thing.
From 7 Principles of Influence (Robert B. Cialdini · 1984).
