Think back to the first day of classes at college. Everything is new to you as you nervously enter the lecture hall and pick a seat. Not sure whether to use your laptop or a notebook, you likely looked around to see what your peers were doing. You might have even looked at what they were wearing to know whether your attire was appropriate. Maybe you checked if people were drinking coffee or eating a snack to know if that was acceptable and acted according to the behavior of those around you.
This kind of conformity to socially acceptable behavior is known as social proof. Social proof is both a psychological and social phenomenon where we tend to copy the actions of those around us to try and conform to a behavior that we believe to fit the situation. Essentially, we are looking to those around us for clues about the ‘right’ way to behave, especially in ambiguous circumstances. At times, social proof is a stronger influence than rules – if other people are not following the guidelines, we don’t feel like we have to either. For example, if you saw that everyone was crossing a crosswalk when the light was red, you might follow their footsteps and do the same.
Lack of skepticism is often the result of our social beliefs. No one would believe such absurd nonsense as a moon made of cheese or a flying teapot when it is proposed in such an unfamiliar way. However, when we encounter equally absurd belief systems in socially or historically-familiar contexts, they seem to have a measure of proof and be established or valid. In other words, a lot of people believing some total bullshit creates a form of social proof.
– Sia Mohajer, an educational psychologist, in his book I’m Right – You’re Wrong: How to Think Clearer, Argue Better and Stop Lying to Yourself 1