Social Proof and the Powers of Persuasion, 2040’s Ideas and Innovations Newsletter, Issue 114

Social Proof and the Powers of Persuasion

Issue 114, June 22, 2023

How often when you are choosing a new restaurant do you refer to Yelp or your local food critic’s review? Or when deciding on a weekend movie, you check out the film reviews, leaning toward the ones with star rankings.  How do you find a hotel in another city? And when you are buying apparel online, do you go for the recommendations for how to accessorize it, or in Amazon’s case, “We think you might also like this.” Informally, this is the practice of the power of the “wisdom of the crowds” philosophy that others may know more than you do. If your style, tastes, and interests align with the recommended sources, it’s a handy shortcut for decision-making. It works best when it is fundamentally built on trust.

The Digital Psychology of Persuasion

It is human nature to rely on third-party input when deciding to make important investments (engagement rings come to mind). But there is a new wave of digital tools that are built t…