How to Get the Attention of Government Officials: A Test of the Effectiveness of Social Proof Treatments

Authors

Aubriana Wolferts, Brigham Young University
Darren Hawkins, Brigham Young University

Keywords

social proof treatments, desire to conform, behavior

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Political Science

Abstract

Social proof treatments—informing people about the behavior of their peers—have generally been shown effective in influencing subjects to engage in behavior due to a psychological desire to conform.1 Social proofs are more effective when they describe what peers typically do rather than what peers generally approve of, and when the social proof is more salient and closely related to the desired behavior.2

Recommended Citation

Wolferts, Aubriana and Hawkins, Darren (2019) "How to Get the Attention of Government Officials: A Test of the Effectiveness of Social Proof Treatments," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2019: Iss. 2019, Article 29.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2019/iss2019/29