The Why #65: “Why do people leave their valuables on the beach when they swim?”
By Dan Monheit 16.6.23
Question submitted by Chris, Phillip Island
Crazy right? Unless you do what I do which is to push your keys/wallet/iPod all the way down to the very tip of your shoe, where there’s literally no chance anyone will find them. Genius, I know.
Failing that, you make a good point Chris. What is it about the beach that makes us abandon our sensibilities (and deep-seeded trust issues)? Sure, the mercury’s up, everyone’s here for a good time and we’re only going in for a quick dip, but c’mon people — fellow beach-goers are not your friends!
Sure, it’d be nice to think that there’s some deeper human connection at play here, each of us taking on the unspoken responsibility of safeguarding our neighbours’ valuables until they complete their frollicking and return to do the same for us. But we all know that if you’re reading it here, it’s far more likely there’s something behavioural going on.
Social Proof
Refers to our innate herd mentality. When we see a group of people acting in a certain way, we tend to automatically believe that that must be the correct, appropriate, desirable thing to do — especially if we’re in a situation that’s unfamiliar or risky.
One of the most compelling pieces of research on social proof was conducted by Solomon Asch in 1951. In Asch’s ‘Conformity Experiment’, subjects were asked to participate in a vision test, alongside seven other people. The group was shown three sample lines of differing length and was then asked one at a time to state aloud which was most similar in length to a separate ‘target’ line shown directly beside them. Unbeknownst to the subject, the seven other participants were working for the researchers and had all been instructed to choose the same, incorrect answer on 12 of the 18 rounds that made up the ‘vision test’.
As it turns out, conforming with the group is pretty bloody important. One in three subjects gave what was clearly the wrong (but popular) answer every single time. Three quarters of participants did so at least once.
Often, we consider being together more important than being right. Even if that means leaving our phone, wallet or overpriced drink bottles alone on our towels to be viewed — and exposed — to all.
For brands, showing prospective customers that people who are ‘just like them’ are already on board, can dramatically increase preference and conversion. Consider including nudges like ‘X amount of people in your area are also looking at this’ or highlighting reviews from happy customers. Doing so will hammer home the herd mentality and get more people to follow the leader.
Behaviourally Yours,
PS If you missed the last edition, you can still check out why we on earth anyone would pay for a brand’s ‘Mystery Box’ here.
Bad Decisions Podcast
Learn more about Social Proof in episode 5 of the Bad Decisions podcast.
Got a question?
Is there something you’ve always wondered about?
Send it through to AskDan@hardhat.com.au
Want more?
If you’re a fan of having your curly questions answers, secure your copy of the newly released Amazon #1 Best Seller ‘The Why, The Book’ by Dan Monheit here.
