Social Proof - When is social proof most influential
3 important questions on Social Proof - When is social proof most influential
What determines wheter you take the central or the peripheral route in the Elaboration Likelihood Model?
It is determined by the level of motivation and ability to process information, called elaboration.
If you are highly motivated and have the ability to critically evaluate the message, you are more likely to take the central route. →
If you are low in motivation or lack the ability to process information, you are more likely to rely on peripheral cues such as attractiveness or credibility of the source. → e.g. If you park your bike, you look at where others parked theirs (=social proof), but that doesn't really bother you, so elaboration is low.
If you are highly motivated and have the ability to critically evaluate the message, you are more likely to take the central route. →
If you are low in motivation or lack the ability to process information, you are more likely to rely on peripheral cues such as attractiveness or credibility of the source. → e.g. If you park your bike, you look at where others parked theirs (=social proof), but that doesn't really bother you, so elaboration is low.
In what case can the motivation and thus elaboration be very high, but will people still rely on social proof (=peripheral route)?
In a situation where the importance is very high, but many people before you rejected, e.g. In the case of organ donation. If you are on place 13 on the donation list and you get offered an organ, you might think people before you rejected it for a reason. This makes you rely on social proof (the decision of others is probably valid) and thus you take the peripheral route.
What is the effect of adding complexity to a service? (insurance, provider, etc.)
You make people feel overwhelmed and maybe even a little dumb, but it is very effective to stimulate heuristics, so people will chose the "most chosen" option of what the dealer tells them is best.
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