Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion · chapter 4 · id influence-c4-01-people-look-to-others-behavior
“People look to others' behavior to determine correct action, especially in ambiguous situations -- this is the principle of social proof, and it operates as a powerful automatic heuristic.”
VERIFIEDconfidence: high⚠ extracted by pipeline, re-audit pending
Receipts
Asch (1956), Studies of Independence and Conformity, Psychological Monographs 70(9)DOI registry: valid
Approximately 75% of participants conformed to a clearly incorrect majority judgment at least once across 12 trials. The mean conformity rate was approximately 33%.
Bond & Smith (1996), Culture and Conformity: A Meta-Analysis of Asch Studies, Psychological Bulletin 119(1)DOI registry: valid
Meta-analysis of 133 Asch-line studies across 17 countries yielded an average effect size of d = 0.92. The effect was robust across decades and cultures, though collectivist cultures showed stronger conformity.
Goldstein, Cialdini & Griskevicius (2008), A Room with a Viewpoint, JPSP 95(5)DOI registry: valid
Hotel towel reuse increased 26% when signs referenced other guests' behavior ('75% of guests reuse towels') versus standard environmental appeals.
This claim is a stable, citable object. If you can falsify a verdict, tell us. Corrections are loud here.