A psychological principle and persuasion technique where individuals use others’ behavior as a guide for determining appropriate or valuable actions. This mental shortcut leads people to view something as worthwhile or correct when they observe that others are doing it or supporting it. Social proof operates on the assumption that if many people are engaging in a particular behavior or holding a specific belief, it must be the right thing to do. (Chapter 2, p. 35; see also Cialdini 2001)*
*Terms defined for the Nurturing Online Communities (NOC) course include a chapter reference to the course text Building Successful Online Communities by Kraut and Resnick.
Citation: Center for Scientific Collaboration and Community Engagement. (2025) CSCCE Glossary: Nurturing Online Communities. Santistevan, Pratt, and Woodley doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17137478