Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe Bandwagon Effect and Cognitive BiasesBandwagon ExamplesWhat Impact Does It Have?Influential FactorsPotential RisksHow to Avoid It

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

The Bandwagon Effect and Cognitive Biases

Bandwagon Examples

What Impact Does It Have?

Influential Factors

Potential Risks

How to Avoid It

Close

Everyone else is doing it, so it must be worth doing, right? It can leave you feeling like if you don’t at least give it a try, you’ll end up missing out on some important, shared cultural phenomenon.

If you’ve ever jumped on a trend (whether due toFOMO,peer pressure, or something else), you’ve experienced an example of what psychologists call the bandwagon effect.

The bandwagon effect refers to the tendency of people to adopt certain behaviors, styles, orattitudessimply because everyone else is doing it.The more people adopt a particular trend, the more likely it becomes that other people will also hop on the bandwagon.

At a GlanceThe bandwagon effect is one reason why we often fall for short-lived trends. It can affect our choices—in ways that can be both good and bad. Positive bandwagons might inspire us to adopt healthy behaviors, while negative bandwagons might lead us to try out questionable health advice or spend money on things we don’t need. Exploring some bandwagon examples can give some insight into why this happens, and what you can do to avoid it.

At a Glance

The bandwagon effect is one reason why we often fall for short-lived trends. It can affect our choices—in ways that can be both good and bad. Positive bandwagons might inspire us to adopt healthy behaviors, while negative bandwagons might lead us to try out questionable health advice or spend money on things we don’t need. Exploring some bandwagon examples can give some insight into why this happens, and what you can do to avoid it.

How Does Propaganda Work?

The bandwagon effect is part of a larger group ofcognitive biasesor errors in thinking that influence the judgments anddecisionsthat people make. Cognitive biases are often designed to help people think and reason more quickly, but they often introduce miscalculations and mistakes.

Below are some examples of the Bandwagon Effect:

Picking up generational slang terms can also be an example of hopping on the bandwagon. If you find yourself using terms like “bet,” “rizz,” or “bussin'” after spending a few hours on TikTok, it might be due, in part, to the bandwagon effect.

The bandwagon effect shows why we shouldn’t always let popular opinion dictate what is right. Sometimes things that are good for the majority of people, aren’t right for everyone.

Just because wide-leg pants are considered fashionable at the moment, for example, doesn’t mean that they are flattering or comfortable for all body types and shapes.

Evaluating yourself based on what is considered popular now can also harm your self-esteem and prevent you from achieving your full potential. Just because you enjoy something that isn’t popular or has an interest many others don’t seem to share does not mean those activities are not worth pursuing.

The zeitgeist is constantly shifting. What’s “in” today can just as easily be “out” tomorrow.

Factors that Influence the Bandwagon Effect

It’s a natural tendency for people to follow along with the rest of the group. Sometimes, we do it because we feel pressured. In other cases, we compare ourselves to others and then try to change to be more like the group. Hopping on trends can even play a role in helping us bond with others.

This pressure to fit in can impact many different aspects of behavior, from what people wear to who they vote for in political elections.

Some of the factors that can influence the bandwagon effect include:

Heuristics

Groupthink

The bandwagon effect is essentially a type ofgroupthink. As more people adopt a particular fad or trend, the more likely it becomes that other people will also “hop on the bandwagon.” When it seems that everyone is doing something, there is a tremendous pressure toconform, which is perhaps why bandwagon behaviors tend to form so easily.

A Desire to Be Right

People want to be right. They want to be part of the winning side. Part of the reason people conform is that they look to other people in their social group for information about what is right or acceptable.

If it seems like everyone else is doing something, then people are left with the impression that it is the correct thing to do.

A Need to Be Included

Fear of exclusion also plays a role in the bandwagon effect. People generally do not want to be the odd one out, so going along with what the rest of the group is doing is a way to ensure inclusion and social acceptance.

Theneed to belongpressures people to adopt the norms and attitudes of the majority to gain acceptance and approval from the group.

While the bandwagon effect can be very powerful and leads to the ready formation of trends, these behaviors also tend to be somewhat fragile. People jump on the bandwagon quickly, but they also jump off it just as fast. This is perhaps why trends tend to be so fleeting.

The Psychology of Compliance

Risks of the Bandwagon Effect

The impact of these bandwagon trends is often relatively harmless, such as in fashion, music, or pop culture fads. Sometimes they can be far more dangerous.

When certain ideas begin to take hold, such as particular attitudes toward health issues, bandwagon beliefs can have serious and damaging consequences.

Some negative or even dangerous examples of the bandwagon effect:

While the bandwagon effect can have potentially dangerous consequences in some cases, it can also lead to adopting healthy behaviors. If it seems that the majority of people reject unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking) and embrace healthy choices (such as exercising and working out), people may then become more likely to avoid risky choices and engage in healthy actions.

How to Avoid the Bandwagon Effect

Is there anything you can do to guard against the bandwagon effect? Researchers suggest a few methods that can help:

Be Wary of Simple Solutions

Seek Diverse Information

Don’t listen to a single source when evaluating information. Seek out a range of data and opinions, including alternative or contrary views.

Recognize Cognitive Dissonance

Recognizing that you’ve fallen prey to the bandwagon effect can be rough. Sometimes, you might feel a bit foolish that you jumped on a short-lived trend. Or you might feel duped because you spent money on products or services that made false promises. In either case, letting go once the trend has lost appeal or popularity isn’t always easy.

You might have mixed feelings about letting go of something that feels familiar and comfortable. Or it might seem like you need to stick with it since you’ve already invested so much into it—an example of thesunk costs fallacy.

When letting go of a long-held practice or belief that was adopted due to the bandwagon effect, it can be helpful to remember that you’re likely to experience feelings of discomfort andcognitive dissonancewhen change happens.

Give yourself time to adapt to changes—and be careful to avoid replacing old gimmicks with new ones.

Look for Evidence

You should view such practices skeptically and look for legitimate, evidence-based information that might support or dispute such claims. Or, at the very least, ask your doctor before you try it.

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Schmitt‐Beck R.Bandwagon effect.The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication. 2015:1-5. doi:10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc015Baddeley M.Herding, social influences and behavioural bias in scientific research: Simple awareness of the hidden pressures and beliefs that influence our thinking can help to preserve objectivity.EMBO Rep. 2015;16(8):902–905. doi:10.15252/embr.201540637O’Connor N, Clark S.Beware bandwagons! The bandwagon phenomenon in medicine, psychiatry and management.Australas Psychiatry. 2019;27(6):603-606. doi:10.1177/1039856219848829Levitan LC, Verhulst B.Conformity in groups: The effects of others' views on expressed attitudes and attitude change.Polit Behav. 2016;38:277-315. doi:10.1007/s11109-015-9312-xMallinson DJ, Hatemi PK.The effects of information and social conformity on opinion change.PLoS One. 2018;13(5):e0196600. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0196600Benecke O, DeYoung SE.Anti-vaccine decision-making and measles resurgence in the United States.Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19862949. doi:10.1177/2333794X19862949Kiss Á, Simonovits G.Identifying the bandwagon effect in two-round elections.Public Choice. 2013;160(3-4):327-344. doi:10.1007/s11127-013-0146-yVicki G. Morwitz VG, Carol Pluzinski C.Do polls reflect opinions or do opinions reflect polls? The impact of political polling on voters' expectations, preferences, and behavior.J Consum Res. 1996;23(1):53–67. doi:10.1086/209466

Schmitt‐Beck R.Bandwagon effect.The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication. 2015:1-5. doi:10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc015

Baddeley M.Herding, social influences and behavioural bias in scientific research: Simple awareness of the hidden pressures and beliefs that influence our thinking can help to preserve objectivity.EMBO Rep. 2015;16(8):902–905. doi:10.15252/embr.201540637

O’Connor N, Clark S.Beware bandwagons! The bandwagon phenomenon in medicine, psychiatry and management.Australas Psychiatry. 2019;27(6):603-606. doi:10.1177/1039856219848829

Levitan LC, Verhulst B.Conformity in groups: The effects of others' views on expressed attitudes and attitude change.Polit Behav. 2016;38:277-315. doi:10.1007/s11109-015-9312-x

Mallinson DJ, Hatemi PK.The effects of information and social conformity on opinion change.PLoS One. 2018;13(5):e0196600. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0196600

Benecke O, DeYoung SE.Anti-vaccine decision-making and measles resurgence in the United States.Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19862949. doi:10.1177/2333794X19862949

Kiss Á, Simonovits G.Identifying the bandwagon effect in two-round elections.Public Choice. 2013;160(3-4):327-344. doi:10.1007/s11127-013-0146-y

Vicki G. Morwitz VG, Carol Pluzinski C.Do polls reflect opinions or do opinions reflect polls? The impact of political polling on voters' expectations, preferences, and behavior.J Consum Res. 1996;23(1):53–67. doi:10.1086/209466

Kang I, Cui H, Son J, 2019.Conformity consumption behavior and FoMO.Sustainability. 2019;11(17):1-18.

Kiss, A & Simonovits, G. Identifying the Bandwagon Effect in Two-Round Elections.Public Choice. 2014;160(3-4):327-344.

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