bandwagon effect
Following the crowd
The bandwagon effect describes the tendency of people to adopt beliefs, behaviors, or trends because others are doing so.
The more popular something becomes, the more likely additional people are to join in, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
It operates in politics, consumer behavior, fashion, and social movements.
The candidate's rising poll numbers created a bandwagon effect that brought in more supporters.
The related phrase jump on the bandwagon means to join a popular trend or movement, often opportunistically.
Spreading quickly online
- trendingCurrently gaining widespread attention
- crazeShort-lived popular obsession
- fadShort-lived enthusiasm
- hypeExaggerated promotional fanfare
buzz · momentum · wave · surge · phenomenon · sensation · mainstream · zeitgeist
Exaggerated promotional fanfare
- buzzContinuous low drone
- influencerPerson with promotional reach
- testimonialStatement praising someone's qualities
- FOMOAcronym for exclusion anxiety
Conformity-driven poor decisions
- imitationCopy of the original
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- conformistOne following accepted norms
- copycatOne who mimics another
Fastening securely to position
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
- influencePower to affect others
viral
Spreading quickly online
- trendingCurrently gaining widespread attention
- crazeShort-lived popular obsession
- fadShort-lived enthusiasm
hype · buzz · momentum · wave · surge · phenomenon · sensation · mainstream · zeitgeist · fashion
hype
Exaggerated promotional fanfare
- buzzContinuous low drone
- influencerPerson with promotional reach
- testimonialStatement praising someone's qualities
groupthink
Conformity-driven poor decisions
- imitationCopy of the original
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- conformistOne following accepted norms
copycat · assimilation · uniformity · alignment · cohesion
anchoring
Fastening securely to position
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
- influencePower to affect others
- conformityconformity, conforming, conform, conformist, conformism
- peer pressureconformity, fitting in, popularity, dares, drinking
- social conformityconformist, peer pressure, herd mentality, groupthink, follow the crowd
- social phenomenasocial change, social norms, social movements, conformity, inequality
- social psychologysocial behavior, conformity, social influence, attribution, groupthink
- cognitive biasesconfirmation bias, anchoring bias, negativity bias, optimism bias, recency bias
bandwagon effectnonconformity
Rejection of prevailing norms
individualism · self-reliance · self-determination · freethinking · autonomy
bandwagon effectcontrarianism
Opposing prevailing views systematically
reactance · abandoning ship · bucking the trend · skepticism
effect, effects, effective, effectiveness, bandwagon, bandwagons, bandwagoner