It is also called an appeal to popularity, the authority of the many, and argumentum ad populum(Latin for "appeal to the people"). Since then, many other philanthropic challenges have gone viral. Her reasoning is that if many people have said it, then it must be true. Think about the following issues: Should we aim to reduce childhood hunger? The bandwagon fallacy is based on the assumption that the majoritys opinion is always valid. Sarah believes social media is damaging to relationships. When should you use the bandwagon fallacy? Other fallacies of relevance include the ad hominem fallacy and the red herring fallacy. (Robert J. Sternberg, Henry L. Roediger, and Diane F. Halpern, Critical Thinking in Psychology, Cambridge University Press, 2007). Eight out of ten homes are equipped with Spylux Home Security system. Be on the lookout for this type of argument in the future so you can spot it and recognize the fallacy rather than fall into its trap. In History 5. Plus, if their budget doesnt allow for it, following the crowd with this one can be harmful. Cite this Article in your Essay (APA Style), Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsDisclaimerAccessibility StatementVideo Transcripts. It is also used extensively in marketing and politics. In other words, it happens when one term . Why the Bandwagon Argument is a Logical Fallacy. The bandwagon fallacy plays on the human instinct to want to be part of the crowd, in harmony with one's community. This may be harmful for Caroline, especially if her coworkers arent very knowledgeable about health and fitness and theyre mainly aiming to lose weight. Scenario: Remy loves sport and always eats a healthy diet. Here are some examples of ways that people jump on the bandwagon. Fitness and health trends are often examples of the bandwagon fallacy, because things become popular even if they arent good for everyone. This is similar to the topic of this article because, in many cases, the majority or a certain group of people is considered as an authority whose opinions are most likely correct. In past political campaigns, candidates would ride a bandwagon through town, and people would show support for the candidate by climbing aboard the wagon. The bandwagon fallacy and other logical fallacies, Another name for the bandwagon fallacy is, . She thinks this because there have been so many rumors and people claiming that they have seen the loch ness monster. Fashion trends come and goand come back again. Bandwagon fallacy makes an appeal to a certain popular idea, value, or taste, and uses only its popularity (everyone is doing it) as evidence for its truthfulness. Use . Even if Ahmed did want comfortable clothes, his friend does not give him a good reason for why the new jeans would be comfortable. The term fallacy is commonly used as a synonym for falsehood or false belief. Nordquist, Richard. But dont toss out your high-top shoes yet these trends have a way of making their way back in a few decades. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. These bandwagon movements can range from popular fads to dangerous political movements. There is no information about value for money, safety, speed, comfort, or any other features which are relevant to a car being of good quality. In this scenario, Brandon is trying to convince Mark to go to the movies with him instead of doing homework. Bandwagon Fallacy. It can also be used to make a position seem more appealing by exaggerating its popularity. Take this article, which recently appeared on Salon and featured the headline: "Support for gun control surges to highest level ever as GOP lawmakers sit on their hands. In other words, there's nothing inherently illogical about claiming that something is popular, positive, or effective because it's enjoyed by many. It usually suggests that more people believe in a statement that could still be false. It can make us think that there's only way to tackle a problem because; "that's the way it's always been done." be effective, true, or otherwise positive. Privacy Policy. For example, the. It's usually used to refer to someone who starts liking or doing a particular thing because it's popular, fashionable, or gaining attention. Sign up to make the most of YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-bandwagon-fallacy-1689158. Please do your own research before making any online purchase. Ephedra became popular without people paying attention to dosing, which ultimately led to fatalities . Some of the main methods are Glittering Generalities, Transfer, Testimonial, Ad hominen, Begging the Question, and Bandwag. The . Buying the Latest Gadgets 9. Popular things are always true (unstated). All rights reserved. Youre not thinking of doing that too, are you? Because its the factual evidence supporting a theory that makes it true, not simply the fact that its popular. We don't want to hurt each other or see people suffer through life, so we act accordingly. Production studios use the bandwagon fallacy to claim that everyone is talking about a show or film, prompting you to join that exclusive group. ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/what-is-bandwagon-fallacy-1689158. The bandwagon effect is part of a larger group of cognitive biases or errors in thinking that influence the judgments and decisions that people make. That means its illogical because the proof that something is trueits popularityhas no, impact on whether its true. Only when youre presenting a subjective or overtly incorrect statement as fact and citing its popularity as the reason why its fact are you using the bandwagon fallacy. 25 Fallacy Examples in Real Life Fallacies are certain beliefs or ideas that may seem true to people, while in reality, they are false because they are based on false or flawed arguments. The bandwagon fallacy uses peer pressure to convince the audience of an argument's legitimacy, but popular does not mean credible, and conforming is not necessarily "right." Even so, the bandwagon fallacy is powerful. This fallacy involves appealing to what most people or the majority of people think as a way of determining what is really true or really right. For example, you might hear that some employers in your field are seeking bilingual candidates and, in response, decide to minor in a foreign language. Her friends tell her that its just a myth and there has never been any proof. I feel for those who will inevitably look back on their pictures from college 20 years from now, wondering WHAT they were thinkingbut I have to assume as trends change, that will always be the case. Recent examples of this include specific diets like the gluten free diet, the paleo movement, eating vegan, etc. In quoting this statistic, the company hopes to show the popularity of its mascara. Sometimes, you might find yourself discussing a beliefs popularity or how it became widespreaddiscussing topics like this objectively isnt using the bandwagon fallacy. We can clearly see that Remy took none of those types of relevant information into account and was rather just convinced by popular opinion. Hey, if your answer is yes, we get it. Also, diet aids (such as ephedra) have caused a harmful bandwagon fallacy effect. The reasoning behind why the car is the best is that it is popular and because all the people say it is the best. 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. His decision was based on which book was the most popular and not on the content or theme of the book. However, just because the statistic they give in support of their claim is correct, we must not be so quick to believe that the claim is necessarily good. A "bandwagon" is, figuratively speaking, any cause or movement which has become popular very quickly and which many people join because it is popular and there is a social pressure to join. Manage Settings This fallacy, also known as the bandwagon effect, gets its name from the expression jumping on the bandwagon which means to do or believe something just because its a popular thing to do. The bandwagon fallacy is an informal fallacy, which means that the illogical part of a bandwagon argument is its content, not its construction. About The Helpful Professor The opposite of the Appeal to Heaven is the Job's Comforter fallacy. Cognitive biases are often designed to help people think and reason more quickly, but they often introduce miscalculations and mistakes. If an adult ever asked you whether youd jump off a bridge to join your friends, they were probably protecting you from peer pressure caused by the bandwagon fallacy. The bandwagon fallacy is often used to justify or normalize a specific position. She is impatient and also decides to cross the street while the traffic light is red. No matter how ridiculous her actions seemed, everyone was following Reginas lead just because Regina was so popular. Scenario: Rita sees everyone crossing the street even though the pedestrian traffic light is red. Your email address will not be published. - Bandwagon Fallacy - contains arguments that are only appealing because of current trends and growing popularity ("Smoking is fine because everyone is doing it.") - Gambler's Fallacy - assumes that short-term deviations will correct themselves ("I've had bad luck for so long that I'm bound to have good luck now.") What exactly is the bandwagon effect? She replies that she thought it was okay because everyone was doing it. Bandwagon fallacy makes an appeal to a certain popular idea, value, or taste, and uses only its popularity ("everyone is doing it") as evidence for its truthfulness. Argumentumad populum proves only that a belief is popular, not that it's true. Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. Its the best-selling phone right now; the numbers dont lie. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. It's the product of a fallacious argument that states something to be true because it's popular. The data concerning the popularity of the belief are simply not sufficient to warrant accepting the belief. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Example "Green food prevents many diseases . Therefore, even though the majority is often right, the fluctuation of the majority opinion implies that a logically valid conclusion cannot be based on the majority alone. Thousands of books are published every year. Johns neighborhood played the biggest role in his decision of who to vote for, despite his commitment to stop global warming. Sometimes, you might find yourself discussing a beliefs popularity or how it became widespreaddiscussing topics like this objectively isnt using the bandwagon fallacy. Examples If he wants to feel comfortable he should buy them. This fallacy suggests that if many people agree on a point, that point is necessarily true. The logical error in an appeal to popularity lies in its inflating the value of popularity as evidence." Even though the pedestrian traffic light was red she saw many people crossing the road and so she thought that it would be okay for her to do the same thing. The bandwagon fallacy - also known as an appeal to popularity or argumentum ad populum - is a type of incorrect argument in which we assume something is good or right because it is popular. The statistic in question refers to the popularity of the food and not to its quality. Everyone is going to be there.. 1 : a usually ornate and high wagon for a band of musicians especially in a circus parade 2 : a popular party, faction, or cause that attracts growing supportoften used in such phrases as jump on the bandwagon 3 : a current or fashionable trend Synonyms blitz campaign cause crusade drive juggernaut movement push and 2 What Is Cognitive Bias? Rita gets caught by the police as she is crossing the road when she should not. However, because the bandwagon fallacy relies on very little critical thinking, some popular challenges can be more dangerous than a bucket of ice water. And with as much as 90s fashion has been ridiculed in the media in the mere two decades since it was the norm, I will never understand howor why it returned so quickly. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. As such, the logical structure of the argument goes: X is popular. Remember, a beliefs popularity doesnt make it true. Sometimes popular opinion is correct, but thats not the point. This is the Donald Trump phenomenon and bandwagon. In other words, theres nothing inherently illogical about claiming that something is popular, positive, or effective because its enjoyed by many. What Is the Bandwagon Fallacy? The bandwagon fallacy describes believing something is true or acceptable only because it is popular. What it is: You've heard of "jumping on the bandwagon" and you've probably judged people who do that. Our country does spend a disproportionate amount of money on those who attend college than those who choose not to. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Therefore it is an incorrect reason for why it was okay that Rita crossed the road when she did. 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