Everything we do is driven by the need to accomplish goals.
These drivers can be hardwired, internally motivated, or socially derived, but
what they all have in common is that they trigger certain behaviours.
Many theorists argue that certain drivers take precedence
over others. Gad Saad argues in favour of four evolved instincts that drive our need to consume. Maslow’s well-known Hierarchy of Needs demonstrates that certain needs must
be fulfilled before other, ‘higher order’, needs are considered.
Social drivers, too, have been scientifically studied. Social proof is a phenomenon often used by marketers
to drive conformity to a particular behaviour, but can be difficult to
leverage. This is because social proof is a complicated pattern of behaviours
influenced by the need for validation.
However, this influence is often unconscious. We don’t tend
to pay attention to what drives our social behaviour, instead doing what
everyone else is doing, or doing what we think
is appropriate in the given context.
There are many different sources of validation, which can be
represented by four questions we (unconsciously) ask each time we find ourselves
in an unfamiliar or novel situation:
“How do I feel about what I am doing?”
“How do I feel about what others are doing?”
“How do others feel about what I am doing?”
“How do others feel about what others are doing?”
Lets elaborate on these.
“How do I feel about what I am doing?” This is self-validation, when we construct a
concept of ourselves from our feelings, beliefs, values, and personal
experiences. Self-validation drives actions that are in line with who we
believe we are.
When we do things that align with how we see ourselves, cognitive dissonance is reduced, and
we feel validated as a result.
“How do I feel about what others are doing?” This is projected validation. Humans are biased
to believe our own bullshit, and we often assume
that what applies to ourselves applies to everyone around us.
This is especially true of social situations. We tend to
think highly of those who share our views, and therefore judge them more favourably. We use our own views as a
measure to validate others, based on how much they conform to them.
“How do others feel about what I am doing?” This is vicarious validation, when we derive
our self-worth through how we think others perceive our behaviour. Humans are
paranoid, and depending on the context, we tend to believe that others are judging our every action.
Of course, people judge us far less than we think, as most
are too worried about how others may be judging them to do any judging themselves.
Regardless, if we perceive too much judgment around a particular behaviour, we
are likely to change or avoid it.
This is where slacktivism
stems from. We all want to be respected among our peers, and liking and sharing
well meaning (but ultimately actionless) content helps with that. Not doing so
can breed fear of negative social judgment.
“How do others feel about what others are doing?” This is normative validation, when we observe
how groups of people interact to determine what behaviours are ‘correct’. As is
usually the case, the more people we see doing something, the more we feel it is acceptable to do that same thing.
Normative validation is basic premise of modelling, one of the most
robust findings in social psychology.
All these sources of validation interact to form what is
essentially social proof, and depending on whether we are seeking validation,
avoiding negative judgement, or both, we tend to modify our behaviours
accordingly.
Social proof, like all social drivers, are powerful tools
that can change behaviour for better or worse. Understanding the inner workings
of social proof and validation can help drive positive social action.
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