Think back to the first day of classes in college. Everything was new to you as you nervously entered the lecture hall and chose a seat. Not sure whether to use your laptop or a notebook, you likely looked around to see what your peers were doing. Maybe you even looked at what they were wearing to determine whether your attire was appropriate. Perhaps 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 process of conforming to socially acceptable behavior is known as social proof. Social proof is both a psychological and social phenomenon in which we tend to copy the actions of those around us to conform to behaviors that we believe fit the situation. Essentially, we look to those around us for clues about the “right” way to behave, especially in ambiguous circumstances. 

While social proof can promote the uptake of positive behaviors, it can also lead to undesirable conformity or problematic herd behavior. At times, social proof is a stronger influence than rules—if other people are not following the guidelines, we may not feel obligated to follow them either. For example, if you saw that everyone was crossing a crosswalk when the walk light was red, you might follow their footsteps and do the same.

Social Norms: Collectively held beliefs about what kind of behavior is appropriate or acceptable for a given circumstance or community.

Normative Conformity: Conformity influenced by our desire to be liked and accepted.² 

Informational Conformity: Conformity influenced by our desire to be correct.²

Normative Social Influence: Conforming to others’ behavior because we believe it’s socially acceptable or desirable. This form of social influence stems from our need to avoid rejection and maintain social approval, even if it means going against formal rules or rejecting our personal beliefs and values.³

Informational Social Influence: Conforming to others’ behavior because we believe they know better or possess superior knowledge of the situation. Driven by a desire to be correct, this form of influence occurs when we assume others have more accurate information than we do, and therefore look to their actions to determine the correct way to behave.³

Herd Behavior: A phenomenon where individuals within a group act collectively without explicit, centralized direction. This occurs when people rely on the behavior of others as a guide, demonstrating how social proof can lead to large-scale behavior patterns and collective action.

Research on social proof started with an early study conducted by psychologist Muzafer Sherif in 1935.¹² In Sherif’s landmark experiment, subjects were placed in a dark room and asked to observe a dot of light in front of them. The dot appeared to be moving due to the autokinetic effect—a visual illusion where a stationary point of light in a dark environment appears to move due to the absence of reference points. After viewing the light, participants were asked how much it appeared to move (in inches), both when they were alone and later when paired with two others. Sherif found that even though solo subjects previously gave different estimates, groups eventually arrived at a common estimate when paired together. Individual participants even maintained the group estimate later when asked alone, demonstrating that they were relying on group consensus to judge reality rather than simply suppressing their individual judgments in the presence of the group.

Sherif’s experiment laid the groundwork for other famous studies on conformity. One of the most well-known sets of experiments on social proof was conducted in the 1950s by Solomon Asch, a pioneer of social psychology, especially in research on conformity.

Asch’s first conformity experiment, conducted in 1951, is now one of the most widely replicated studies within social psychology. In this experiment, 50 college-age participants were told that they were going to participate in a vision test. Unbeknownst to the participants, they entered a room with individuals they assumed were other participants, but who were actually seven confederates. Each person in the room was then shown a picture of a target line next to three lines labeled A, B, and C, and asked which line was most similar in length to the target line. Despite the correct answer being fairly obvious, the seven confederates intentionally gave the wrong answer. The real participant was the last to give their answer, after they had heard all the other answers. Asch found that over 12 different trials, participants conformed at least once in 75% of cases, showing that people will often look to others for evidence of what the correct answer is, often overriding their own best judgment.⁴

To further investigate this notion, Asch continued conducting experiments throughout the 1950s, usually referred to collectively as the Asch conformity experiments. While the 1951 study showed that people will use social proof to answer a question, Asch was also curious to see whether it would change the way people behaved outside of an experiment. In 1962, an episode of Candid Camera featured the “Face the Rear” experiment to demonstrate Asch’s findings.⁵ In the experiment, they examined people’s behavior when entering elevators, in which confederates were already in the elevator and facing the back (an unusual behavior). Some people followed this unusual behavior and stood in the same direction as the confederates when they entered the elevator. These individuals were unaware that they were being observed, suggesting that even outside the laboratory, people seek social proof to guide their behavior.

At the time, Asch referred to this social and psychological phenomenon as “herd behavior.” It wasn’t until 1984 that the term “social proof” gained popularity when Dr. Robert Cialdini, a professor of psychology, coined it in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.¹ In this book, Cialdini argues that social proof is one of six key principles of persuasion. The book is now one of the cornerstone works of marketing, and social proof has become a phenomenon widely studied to better understand how to nudge and influence consumer behavior.⁶

Muzafer Sherif

Sherif is one of the most historically significant figures in the field of social psychology.¹³ His 1935 research on perception and social norms was foundational to later studies on conformity. Several years later, his ethically questionable—yet highly influential—Robbers Cave Experiment demonstrated how intergroup hostility can develop from competition over limited resources. Sherif’s work has had a substantial influence on the study of group behavior and how social context can shape individual actions.

Solomon Asch

Best known for his groundbreaking research on conformity, Asch illustrated how individuals are driven to align their behaviors with those of their group, even when the group appears to be incorrect.¹⁴ His 1952 textbook, Social Psychology, was influential in inspiring future research on group behavior, expanding our understanding of human thinking and social influence. 

Robert Cialdini

Cialdini is a psychologist and author of the 1984 bestseller on persuasion and marketing, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. His book popularized the notion of social proof, introducing practical applications for the fields of marketing and business through several principles of persuasion. Cialdini’s principles have since become fundamental for organizations looking to expand their influence.¹⁵

What is social proof in dating?

Social proof not only shapes how we behave but can also influence our perception of attraction. Thanks to normative social influence, we often find people more attractive when others also express interest in them. Women, in particular, tend to rate men as more desirable when it seems as though other women are also interested in them, a phenomenon known as mate choice copying.¹⁶ In environments where people are especially uncertain about compatibility—think online dating platforms and networking sites—elements of social proof, such as photos with friends and mutual connections, can play a powerful role in attraction.

As you might expect, social proof also shapes norms around online dating behavior. Recent research shows that social media influencers play a significant role in establishing norms for how users present themselves on dating platforms, including the types of profile photos chosen and the language used in bios.¹⁷ This behavior reflects a broader tendency to rely on social cues when making decisions about how to act, providing individuals a shortcut when it comes to evaluating potential partners and deciding how to attract attention.

How do the effects of social proof vary across cultures?

The influence of social proof varies across cultures, particularly between collectivist and individualist societies. Collectivist cultures—those that tend to prioritize group needs over individual needs—tend to conform to social proof norms more often than those from individualist cultures, where individual needs are prioritized over those of the group.¹⁸ This is thought to occur because people from collectivist cultures experience an increased sense of social responsibility, making them more likely to align with group norms around helping others and complying with social requests.¹⁹

There are both positive and negative consequences of our tendency to use social proof to guide behavior. On the positive side, it can inform us of the acceptable norms of a particular culture, or the standards that our employers want us to adhere to. For example, social proof helped encourage people to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic because they didn’t want to feel out of place. On the other hand, the phenomenon can also cause people to disregard rules, regulations, or even science, as the influence of social proof is often stronger than formal rules that govern behavior.

Understanding Policy Adoption and Behavior Change

Research on social proof has accelerated our understanding of why people don’t always act on information or logic alone, but often adopt or maintain behaviors based on what other people are doing. When we use social proof to inform our behavior, we are not necessarily acting rationally. Take Asch’s 1951 experiment—people were willing to go against clear evidence because of their desire to conform. In studies on conformity, participants often allow social proof to change their answer and go against visual facts, creating a herd mentality where individuals suppress their thoughts, morals, or beliefs to go along with those of the group.

Instead of thinking for ourselves, we passively adopt the behaviors of those around us, which can lead to something known as pluralistic ignorance. Pluralistic ignorance occurs when people might privately hold a belief different from the norm, they believe they are the only person who feels this way, so they continue to follow the norm.⁷ For example, even if you agree with the science that climate change is a pressing problem and sustainability is important, you might not do anything to reduce your carbon footprint if those around you fail to adopt sustainable behaviors. This means that social proof can silence voices or behavior that goes against the grain.

Social Proof Amplification in the Digital Age

Traditionally, social proof was limited to behavioral cues people could observe in their immediate surroundings, such as a packed restaurant or people applauding in a theater. Today, the vast reach of social media amplifies the effects of social proof. Likes, shares, comments, and views serve as powerful social proof elements that reach millions of people around the world, signaling the popularity of certain ideas or behaviors. Social media algorithms also create reinforcing loops where popular content is intentionally spread widely and rapidly, generating additional social proof as view counts, comments, and likes rise. Due to the social proof effect, influencers with a large number of followers can have significant sway over public opinion.

On a positive note, this effect can accelerate the adoption of beneficial behaviors, such as healthy eating, exercising, or making sustainable lifestyle changes. Conversely, it can also speed the spread of misinformation, promote the adoption of harmful norms, or encourage people to jump on risky trends, like dangerous social media challenges. Social proof has also been implicated in panic buying behavior. Research shows that social media posts showing bulk buying during COVID-19 increased individual consumers’ intentions to stockpile goods and household items.²⁰

The Use of Social Proof in Marketing

Social proof is frequently leveraged in digital marketing. Elements of social proof—such as star ratings, referrals, and customer testimonials—tap into our tendency to look to others when making decisions. Even the number of reviews a product has can convey important information about its popularity. This is why 45% of people won’t purchase a product if it has no reviews at all.²¹ Shoppers are even more likely to turn to product reviews when evaluating unfamiliar products, highlighting how social proof can serve as a shortcut for evaluating trust or popularity in situations of uncertainty.

Due to the power of normative influence, building social proof is a common goal in marketing and conversion rate optimization. Incentivizing customers to leave reviews, sharing user-generated content, and highlighting popular purchases with “bestseller” tags are effective social proof tactics that can reduce hesitation among prospective buyers. Search engine optimization (SEO) is also important for social proof, as good visibility in Google search results—and more recently in AI overviews and recommendation engines—conveys a sense of authority and popularity, providing validation to users looking for credible information or authentic products online.

While social proof has a well-documented influence on behavior, it’s not without its criticisms. What works as a heuristic to promote efficient judgment and decision-making can also be used to manipulate or amplify harmful behavior. In some cases, social proof can actually have the opposite effect, creating reactance rather than conformity.

The Pull of Conformity vs. Individuality

Although various experiments show that people tend to bend their behavior in response to what others are doing around them, not everyone follows the crowd. Even in Asch’s 1951 experiment, 25% of participants never conformed to the confederates, maintaining their individual judgments about the length of the lines.

Social psychologist Jonah Berger, recognizing that not all people tend to follow the crowd, conducted a range of experiments to identify what factors influence whether someone uses social proof to inform their behavior. In one study, he asked participants to choose an option from various consumer products, including paper towels, clothes, laundry detergents, and music. Participants were told that a peer would witness the choices they made and form an impression of them as a result. Half the participants were told how another participant, a couple of years older, had chosen before them.⁹

Participants who were told that someone older than them had made certain choices were slightly more likely to follow their lead. However, the opposite was found when it came to their decisions about music and clothes—they were less likely to pick the same options as the older person.⁹

Although Berger’s experiment doesn’t negate the influence of social proof altogether, it does show that, at times, our desire to be different from someone else (perhaps someone we find uncool or whom we believe to have outdated views) is stronger.

Manipulation and Ethics

Unfortunately, social proof is often used deceptively to manipulate people into thinking that certain ideas, products, or actions are more popular than they really are. Online, fake social proof is a common dark pattern tactic that creates an illusion of popularity by presenting users with fake reviews or exaggerated shopping activity messages. For example, those little pop-ups stating that “Sarah in San Francisco just bought this item” or “90% of customers buy item X with item Y” frequently turn out to be fabricated rather than genuine reflections of user activity.²² These deceptive social proof tactics trick users into making purchases or engaging with ads. As consumers grow increasingly vigilant about manipulative design, marketers must be careful to avoid social proof mistakes—like using inauthentic testimonials or deleting poor ratings—that hurt credibility and brand reputation. 

Backfire Effects

Social proof can also have unintended consequences. For example, it can motivate a mob mentality, where people act in ways they normally wouldn’t because of perceived group pressures. Even if someone intended to attend a protest peacefully, if everyone around them is being violent, they might be driven to do the same. Another alarming outcome of social proof is known as copycat suicides. Copycat suicides are thought to be caused by social proof, where individuals read about a suicide in the media, influencing them to take the same action.⁸

Similarly, awareness campaigns and public messaging intended to promote positive behaviors can actually encourage undesirable behaviors when they highlight how frequently those behaviors occur. For example, anti-drug campaigns of the early 2000s unintentionally reinforced the idea that drug use was common and popular. An analysis of these campaigns found that exposure to campaign messages increased teenagers’ favorable attitudes toward drugs.²³ Similar messaging, such as “many people litter in this park” or “the majority of people don’t recycle,” can cause viewers to conform to the undesirable behavior. 

Cialdini observed these backfire effects in a 2006 field experiment conducted in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, where the removal of petrified wood was a common problem.²⁴ When signs simply read, “Please don’t remove the petrified wood chips,” only 2% of chips were stolen. But when the signs read, “Many past visitors have removed the petrified wood from the park, changing the state of the petrified forest,” visitors stole 8% of the wood chips, a fourfold increase. This fascinating case study shows how information and logic alone are not always enough to change behavior, especially in the face of behavioral phenomena like social proof.

Social Proof and E-Commerce

Social proof is often used as a marketing technique to get people to buy particular products. As marketers have come to understand how powerful social proof is in shaping consumer behavior, they work to ensure that consumers believe other people also purchase and like their product.

When in a physical store, consumers might decide to purchase a product based on the type of customer they see in the store or observe looking at the product. This kind of social proof isn’t possible when shopping online, so businesses have come up with other ways to convey social proof. That can mean emphasizing customer reviews on your website, enabling a function that shows people on the site how many people currently have this item in their basket, or including certifications on the web page to vouch for the credibility of the product. In fact, these days, there are a number of plugins businesses can use to reinforce social proof, such as those that personalize the website for each individual who visits it.¹⁰

Social Media’s Role in Helping Contain COVID-19

Although we’ve discussed many instances where social proof can cause people to engage in irrational behavior, social proof can also be employed to encourage adherence to scientific health protocols.

Gauging what other people are doing has become increasingly difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst work-from-home orders and lockdowns, one of the places that people turned to for insight into others’ behavior was on social media. Sometimes, this behavior wasn’t productive; people seeing pictures of empty shelves at the grocery store pushed them to go out and load up on what they deemed as necessary items. Remember the toilet paper shortage in spring 2020?¹¹

However, knowing that social media is a breeding ground for social proof, health officials were also proactive in finding ways to encourage people to wear masks. They asked celebrities to post pictures of themselves wearing a mask or following guidelines and ensured that, anytime the virus was mentioned online, users were directed to official websites with verified procedures and recommendations.

Three Thought Patterns That Let Advertisers Influence You on Social Media 

In this article, we examine the different ways that we may be manipulated on social media. One of these forms of manipulation involves informational influence (or conformity), where advertisers use testimonials and reviews to persuade us to purchase their products, since we tend to seek validation from others.

Harnessing Social Norms for Social Good

In this article, we explore how social norms can be harnessed to promote prosocial behavior, such as social distancing during COVID-19. Interestingly, research shows that social proof messaging framed in terms of what people approve or disapprove of (injunctive norms) can impact behavior differently from messaging focused on what people are actually doing (descriptive norms). 

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