Social dynamics
How groups, status and the presence of other people bend individual judgment.
We are herd animals who like to believe we think for ourselves. Social proof and the bandwagon effect pull us toward the crowd; in-group bias and the fundamental attribution error shape who we trust and blame; the tragedy of the commons shows how individually rational choices become collectively ruinous. This is thinking as a social act.
Key ideas here: Bandwagon effect, In-group bias, Authority bias, Social proof, False-consensus effect — and 7 more below.
Mental models
Social proof
Social proof is our tendency to decide what’s correct by watching what others do — especially under uncertainty. When we’re unsure, the behaviour of…
Reciprocity
Reciprocity is the deep social rule that we feel obliged to return what others give us — a favour, a gift, a concession. Receiving something creates a…
Dunbar's number
Dunbar's number is the theory that humans can maintain only about 150 stable social relationships — the cognitive limit on the number of people with…
Tragedy of the commons
The tragedy of the commons is when individuals, each acting in their own rational self-interest, deplete a shared resource that everyone needs —…
Cognitive biases
Bandwagon effect
The bandwagon effect is the tendency to adopt beliefs or behaviours because many others already have. As something gains popularity, the rate of…
In-group bias
In-group bias is the tendency to favour people we see as part of our group — and to be more critical or suspicious of outsiders. The group can be…
Authority bias
Authority bias is the tendency to over-trust and obey an authority figure regardless of the content of what they say. A title, uniform, or credential…
False-consensus effect
The false-consensus effect is the tendency to overestimate how much other people share your beliefs, values, and behaviours. We assume our own views…
Pygmalion effect
The Pygmalion effect is when higher expectations placed on someone lead to better performance — and lower expectations to worse. Believing a person is…
Just-world hypothesis
The just-world hypothesis is the tendency to believe the world is fundamentally fair — that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get. It…
Actor–observer bias
The actor–observer bias is our tendency to attribute our own actions to the situation but other people’s actions to their character. When you stumble,…
Fundamental attribution error
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to explain other people’s behaviour by their character but our own by circumstance. When someone…
Related topics
Go deeper
The book behind this idea: Influence by Robert Cialdini. Hear the whole thing free — start an Audible trial and your first audiobook is on the house.
Read the full summary of Influence →
More canonical picks:
- Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman
- The Art of Thinking Clearly — Rolf Dobelli
- The Great Mental Models, Volume 1 — Shane Parrish
- Poor Charlie’s Almanack — Charlie Munger
- Super Thinking — Gabriel Weinberg & Lauren McCann
- Seeking Wisdom — Peter Bevelin
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Editorial synthesis © ReadGlobe. Each idea links to a full reference page with sources.