Bandwagon effect
We tend to adopt a behavior, an idea or a product when we see that many people have already done so.
What problem it addresses
It explains why popularity attracts more popularity, and why telling people what most others do changes behavior.
An example
A hotel left different cards in its rooms asking guests to reuse their towels.
The request was the same. Knowing what other guests did made it more effective.
Why it happens
When we don’t know what to do, we look at others.
What most people do seems right or safest.
Besides, we want to fit in, and doing what the group does brings us closer to it.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Show real data on what people similar to the decision-maker do, if it helps them decide well.
Avoid
Making up usage figures, reviews or “people viewing this” counters.
Don’t fall for it
Ask yourself whether you would choose it even if nobody else had.
35% → 44%
What the research says
Guests who reused their towel with the standard message and with the message about other guests (Goldstein, Cialdini and Griskevicius, 2008).
Solid evidence. Leibenstein (1950) described the bandwagon effect in economics: demand for something grows because others already buy it.
Connections
Used in
Authors and works
- 1950
Harvey Leibenstein
Described the bandwagon effect in demand theory.
- 2008
Noah Goldstein, Robert Cialdini and Vladas Griskevicius
Showed the power of social norms in a real-world hotel experiment.
Sources
Original sources
- Leibenstein, H. (1950). Bandwagon, snob, and Veblen effects in the theory of consumers' demand. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 64(2), 183–207. View source: Leibenstein, H. (1950)
- Goldstein, N. J., Cialdini, R. B., & Griskevicius, V. (2008). A room with a viewpoint: Using social norms to motivate environmental conservation in hotels. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(3), 472–482. View source: Goldstein, N. J., Cialdini, R. B., & Griskevicius, V. (2008)
Last reviewed: