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social
You prefer associating with winners to signal your status.
A 1976 study found students wore more university gear the day after their football team won.
By highlighting the success of others, you subconsciously attempt to bolster your own perceived competence. You treat the success of a group as your own property.
You gain social validation by proximity to success, not just by earning it.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Cialdini et al., 1976
- What the check found
- The seminal 1976 study by Cialdini et al. confirms the phenomenon of BIRGing, specifically noting the increased wearing of university apparel following football victories.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.