Don’t let ratings influence your online behaviour

I nTHE SHRINK

2008, a landmark study discovered that human beings fall victim to herd mentality, even in the face of better appeals to judgement.

Fast forward to today, and the prevalence of social proof is higher than ever. Late-night TV shows liberally employ the use of laugh tracks to signal audience agreement and enthusiasm. Restaurants mark menu items as ‘chef’s favourite’ or ‘most popular’ to nudge customer purchasing behaviour. Political candidates use interactive digital cues to convince you that others are donating at this very moment on their website—and you should, too!

Amazon reviews, TripAdvisor ratings, and Yelp stars reflect mob preferences, all with an outsized ability to bias your range of choice. Even automatic behaviours, like waiting for peer action before standing for an ovation or waiting for classmates to raise their hands before raising your own, are rooted in social proof influence.

One factor that amplifies social proof effects is uncertainty. Another condition that activates social proof is the need to conform to homogenous groups with distinct identities (e.g., social circles, university affiliation, company culture). Knowing these forces are at play in everyday life, what can you do to combat them?

Practice mindful thinking. During decision-making, take a moment to pause, then reflect before jumping to action. The split-second slowdown can stop your brain from reacting viscerally to a given situation.

Evaluate the trustworthiness of social markers of agreement. Don’t blindly buy a product based on high reviews or skip out on a restaurant because of low ratings. Everyone’s framework for assessment is unique and individually calibrated, so the popularity contest approach isn’t a strong basis for thoughtful decision-making.

Everyone’s framework for assessment is unique and individually calibrated.