The bandwagon effect refers to a psychological attribute in which human beings do or act on something mainly because other individuals around them are doing it. In this phenomenon, they take less into account or regard their personal beliefs, and in this case, they may end up ignoring or overriding them. A wide range of implications are associated with the bandwagon effect. However, the phenomenon is largely seen or exhibited in the consumer behavior of goods and services and, most prominently, in politics.
There is sufficient evidence that campaigns can be used by the campaigners to shape public opinion and influence them to vote. Polls are attributed to a higher and more significant effect than most individuals can imagine. In most cases, voters supporting one of the candidates may get dissuaded from voting for them once their most preferred candidates are almost losing. This is normally attributed to the feeling that their votes may be lost or may not essentially make an impact. This aspect is, in the contemporary world, termed the bandwagon effect.
The effect of social conformity, typically referred to as the fate of society, may influence how people in the community think, make decisions, and act. Most voters often prefer not to make informed decisions and choices before they cast their votes but instead make a choice of mimicking or following the decisions and behavior of other voters in the community. Behavior and attitude depend on how people view and perceive their counterparts in society. In instances where a candidate seems to have gathered the majority of support, they are viewed and regarded more positively and are more likely to win votes from uncommitted voters or supporters. The bandwagon effect is better explained in the sense that no single person likes casting their votes for the losing candidate. Research studies indicate that aspiring leaders leading any polls stand a chance of benefiting from this phenomenon. However, there are controversies about how strong the effect remains.
Work Cited
Kiss, Áron, and Gábor Simonovits. “Identifying The Bandwagon Effect In Two-Round Elections.” Public Choice 160.3-4 (2013): 327-344. Web.
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