Comment on The Bandwagon Effect: Why We Conform to the Majority Opinion by dublaj

(Fallacy In Logic) The bandwagon effect is a common cognitive bias – that is, an innate and systematic error in our thinking – whereby people adopt a behavior or attitude because it is popular. This type of tendency can have a great impact on many aspects of our lives: it may dictate what clothes we wear, which political candidate we vote for, or even what diet we are on.

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Source – Fallacy In Logic

by Staff Writer, November 15th, 2020

As such, it is important to know this bias and understand how it can sway judgment; you’ll be better able to identify it and avoid “hopping on the bandwagon” when it would be of disadvantage to you.

Explanation

As mentioned above, the bandwagon effect describes the tendency that people have to start doing something simply because a lot of other people are doing the same thing. In other words, when we come across a behavior, belief, or product that is popular, we feel pressure to adopt or buy it too.

This cognitive bias is a common phenomenon and influences people in a wide variety of situations, including:

• Politics: People tend to support a candidate who is supported by the majority of people, or who they see as more likely to succeed.
• Sports: People feel encouraged to start supporting a particular team after it has gained considerable success.
• Social networks: If many people begin using a social network (such as Facebook or Instagram), other people will follow in increasing numbers.
• Fashion: If one or more celebrities are wearing certain types of clothes, other people are likely to follow suit.
• Fads: Intense but short-lived trends occur when a large number of people quickly adopt a product or diet.
• Medicine: Certain treatments for illnesses are widely used despite not having been proven to be useful.

Its name comes after the phrase “jump on the bandwagon”. In the past, politicians used to ride a bandwagon through the streets in order to gain attention and win votes. People who supported a particular candidate would literally hop on their bandwagon, hence the phrase.

Why It Occurs

The bandwagon effect, like other cognitive biases, works as a mental shortcut and has evolved to be a part of our cognition for a reason. It enables us to process information more efficiently and thus helps us save energy by reducing the amount of deliberate effort needed to make important decisions. As such, rather than having to take the time and effort to make individual judgments, we rely on the opinion of others whether or not something is worth adopting.

Also, a major reason why we are inclined to conform to the majority is that we naturally want to avoid being socially excluded. By adopting the behaviors and opinions of people within our group we ensure being socially accepted and approved. Furthermore, since we tend to view the things that are already popular as more correct, we feel as if we are on the “winning side” by accepting them.

Bandwagon Fallacy

The bandwagon fallacy, also known as “appeal to popularity”, is a logical fallacy that occurs when the popularity of something is offered as evidence for its truthfulness. For example, if someone asserts that astrology must be true because so many believe in it, they are guilty of committing this fallacy.

As such, the bandwagon effect is often the main cause behind this fallacy; since we humans naturally tend to prefer the behaviors and attitudes of the crowd, people often assume that widely accepted ideas are likely to be true and may use them as evidence for their claims.

Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?

The news is important to all people because it is where we come to know new things about the world, which leads to the development of more life goals that lead to life wisdom. The news also serves as a social connection tool, as we tend to relate to those who know about and believe the things we do. With the power of an open truth-seeking mind in hand, the individual can grow wise and the collective can prosper.

– Justin

Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.

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