The Bandwagon Effect

From bandwagoning the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals to social trends and dances, bandwagoning has played a role in society across generations. The bandwagon effect is when beliefs, conduct, or ideas are blindly adopted by individuals solely because they are following the “herd”. The bandwagon effect has been proved in psychological studies to be a form of conformity or “groupthink” in social psychology (Bloom, Ali). In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, bandwagoning can be observed in 17th century Salem Massachusetts. This topic has plagued generations since the beginning of time, hindering individualism and personal growth in very serious ways. I intend to explore this effect and why we as humans have this desire, what this effect

Dan Rice was a well-known circus clown at the time, and he used his literal bandwagon and music to draw attention to his political campaign (Mohammad). The campaign and his term grew in popularity to the point where “bandwagon” became an everyday term that the majority of the population is now aware of. “The bandwagon effect is a psychological phenomenon whereby people do something primarily because other people are doing it, regardless of their own beliefs, which they may ignore or override” (Bloom). Any tangible evidence is completely discarded and replaced by social evidence (Clyde). The bandwagon effect occurs for one of two reasons, either the individual directly prefers to conform or they derive information from others (Mohammad). Psychological studies have shown evidence that the bandwagon effect is used for conformity, inclusion, and acceptance. If everybody is doing something or using a certain product, why shouldn’t I join them and be included? The key to this effect is numbers; once you get enough participants behind an idea, the idea can often times become self-sustaining (“Bandwagon Effect”). Once this happens, people “hop on the bandwagon” for social reasons rather than ideological reasons. Bandwagons are volatile and fragile, they can grow or die quickly. If people start abandoning the bandwagon often times everybody else does to, and it’s for this reason that all

Mary Warren was with the other girls that night in the forest, and she confessed that she saw the Devil in order to be spared. However, John convinces her to return to the court with the truth because his wife, Elizabeth, was convicted of witchery by Abigail. “Mercy Lewis: It’s on the beam! Behind the rafter...Susanna Walcott: Her claws, she’s stretching her claws” (Miller 106-107). In this court scene, after Mary Warren gives her confession, Mercy Lewis claims that there’s a bird in the rafters of the court, and Mary Warren is possessed by the Devil and trying to hurt them. All of the other girls follow her lead, and act as if a bird is above them and attempting to hurt them. The girls then repeat everything Mary Warren is saying, as if Mary Warren and the Devil are possessing them and forcing them to repeat her. The other girls adopt Mercy Lewis’s idea, in order to help prove their innocence. Mary Warren was endangering all of the girls by exposing the truth, and if this happened they would all be killed. Instead, they create another lie and all bandwagon together to conspire against Mary Warren, and make it seem as if she is conjuring with the Devil. The court believes their lie, and their bandwagon idea is successful. Mary Warren breaks abandoning the truth, rejoining the other girls and their