Education, study and knowledge

Gregariousness: the Bandwagon effect and the Underdog effect

The human being is a gregarious being by nature. As such, it is subject to interaction with other people, who have their own views on the reality of the world around them. For this reason, the opinion of the community has always been a reference to guide their own behavior.

Currently, one of the ways to be aware of the opinion of the communities is through the media, which allow information through elements such as opinion polls of the beliefs and views of citizens regarding issues concrete. These opinions cause various effects on those who receive them, including two opposing ones: the bandwagon effect and the Underdog effect.

Next we will see what they consist of, but first, let's see what exactly an opinion poll consists of.

What is an opinion poll?

It is considered a public opinion survey that consultation made to people chosen according to statistical principles, being an essential tool for assessing public opinion.

The functions of this type of consultation are to produce knowledge, optimize decision-making based on the opinions of others, report the beliefs of our peers and have the possibility to use them in a propaganda.

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The results of the surveys will reflect different evaluations according to the subject they deal with; Among these opinions there may be one that is clearly popular.

Bandwagon effect

It is in this context that the bandwagon effect, according to which people tend to support those causes that we consider as winners.

The Bandwagon effect is based on the need to be consistent with the whole of society, to be part of the group and to make a personal reassurance by supporting what we believe is most likely to be successful. In this way, the individual feels the winning part, reinforcing their self-esteem and their feeling of belonging to a reinforcing group.

When does the Bandwagon effect appear?

Apart from its use as part of various persuasion techniques, studies indicate that this effect occurs when there is a very clear polarization in favor of one of the action or decision options.

It occurs especially in individuals with a level of extraversionneuroticism high, in circumstances where the information on the subject in question is limited and biased by the dominant opinion. Individuals undecided as to which option to choose also tend to vote on the option that is presented as the winner unless other variables come into play.

However, it must be taken into account that the knowledge of the attitudes of the majority collected by Mechanisms such as opinion polls can skew individual freedom by causing a kind of learned helplessness and make the viewer believe that if his action or thought is different from the majority, it will not have any repercussion. In reaction to this, boredom and disenchantment towards the majority position may appear in some people, in turn appearing a feeling of sympathy towards what we consider a losing cause.

Underdog effect

The aforementioned effect in which the opinion of the majority provokes a rejection and a sympathy for the minority is the Underdog effect. In this effect, the decision taken will be the one that benefits the option that is perceived as less valued. Thus, the least valued option is considered as unfairly attacked or undervalued, which provokes its defense.

The causes of the Underdog effect can be multiple, such as an attempt to stand out from the rest, sympathize with the situation of the "lost cause" or admire the will of the other to oppose the majority.

His influence on social movements

Both the Bandwagon effect and the Underdog effect are guarantors of the appearance, maintenance and disappearance of social movements. It must be taken into account that the opinion of our peers is relevant when talking about the change in attitudes.

While as a general rule, as studies show, the majority do not require a great deal of time or effort to direct the attitudes of individuals, since by what is generated the subjects tend to try to reinforce their sense of belonging to society through conformity with social norms, minorities need a long period of time in which they need to maintain internal coherence and consistency in their demands in order to cause a change in attitude in others.

First, some components of the majority group perceive that the defendant is fair and change their perspective. Later, This change causes others to follow their example and finally the previously minority opinion expands.

The case of feminist and anti-racist movements

An example of the phenomenon described were the feminist movements, those in defense of the rights of the Afro-American population and more currently the movements in favor of the rights of the LGTB collective.

These groups, initially, had the frontal opposition of most of the population. However, the internal coherence, constancy and consistency over time of their demands made some of the individuals who supported the dominant opinion changed their opinion (initially producing an Underdog effect). Over the years, the trend has reversed, with the attitudinal trend becoming the majority formerly disadvantaged and favoring through a Bandwagon effect the acceptance of the rights of the collectives.

However, although, as we have just seen, these effects can be applied in a positive way, knowing their existence can also cause them to be used in an interested way.

Partisan political use

Knowledge of the Bandwagon and Underdog effects has meant that in many cases directing has been attempted for very specific purposes. One of the dimensions where the study of these effects is most tried to be applied is in politics, from which Attempts have been made to use both the media and opinion polls propagandistically considering that the knowledge of the opinion of others will modify the behavior and beliefs in the desired direction.

Politicians are aware that, many times, when polls are published and disseminated favorable, the spirits of his party members are strengthened, while the number of supporters.

For it, the different political options will try to present opinion polls that are as favorable as possible to your proposal (given the greater facility for the population to adhere to the majority opinion), presenting them in the media with In order to expand the vision that your proposal is the one that is going to be the winner, or at least the one that is booming.

This fact could help to explain why, after the electoral results and regardless of what they are, all the political forces say they consider themselves to be the winners in the media. It is intended that subjects who are not totally related to their positions change their attitudes in order to join and feel part of the social majority.

Conclusions

As we have seen, throughout history the Underdog and Bandwagon effects have appeared and / or have been applied influencing the masses. In the case of the manipulative use of these phenomena, are usually applied through opinion polls in order to take advantage of their performative nature (that is, their ability not only to describe a fact but also to create it, since since surveys are disseminated participate in the formation and change of attitudes), in order to direct public opinion towards a goal determined.

However, it must be taken into account that the fact that surveys can influence does not imply that they will do so in the intended direction. Presenting an event as a winner may bring others closer to it, but depending on the way it is presented, it is likely to produce rejection. What surveys change is the climate of the situation, by offering a general impression of how the situation can work and whether we have any control over it.

Likewise, considering that we are currently in the information society and that through networks and new technologies we have access to a large number of visions and points of view, it is more difficult for these effects to have a great effectiveness; especially considering that society is becoming more critical and selective with the information that is offered to you, becoming more and more aware of the possibility that it will be attempted handle.

Bibliographic references:

  • Alonso, B.; Cabrera, D. and Tesio, M.E. (2009). "Polls, votes and voices, contributions for a political and technical debate" in Public Opinion: a view from Latin America, edited by Braun, M. and Straw, C. Buenos Aires: EMECÉ.
  • Braun, M. (2011). Public opinion surveys in Latin America: challenges and controversies. Paper presented at the IV Latin American Congress of Public Opinion of WAPOR, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
  • Ceci, S. J. & Kain, E. L. (1982). Jumping on the bandwagon with the underdog: The impact of attitude polls on polling behavior. Public Opinion Quarterly, 46, 228-242.
  • Donsbach, W. (2001). Who’s afraid of election polls? Normative and empirical arguments for the freedom of pre-election surveys. Foundation for Information.
  • Fleitas, D. W. (1971). Bandwagon and underdog effects in minimal information elections. American Political Science Review, 65, 434-438.
  • Gartner, M. (1976). Endogenous bandwagon and underdog effects in a rational choice model. Public Choice, 25 (1), 83-139.
  • Goider, R.K. & Shields, T.G. (1994) "The Vanishing Marginals, the Bandwagon, and the Mass Media" The Journal of Politics, 56, pp. 802-810
  • Maarek, P. (1997). Political marketing and communication. Keys to good political information. Barcelona: Paidós.
  • King Lennon, F. and Piscitelli, A. (2006). Small manual of public opinion polls. Buenos Aires, La Crujía
  • Uribe, R. & Manzur, E. (2007). The Influence of Opinion Polls on People's Preferences. PSYKHE, Vol. 16, N ° 2, 97-105
  • Wolton, D. (1989). "Political communication: construction of a model" in Political communication, coordinated by Arnaud MERCIER. Buenos Aires, 2012: La Crujía.

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