Column: The economics of popularity
Humans are social creatures. We do not exist independently but through friend groups, tribes and hierarchies. This aspect of human nature is so salient that we see these constructions start to emerge as early as elementary school. Understanding how groups form, what their purpose is, and what determines popularity can help us navigate the modern social landscape and, hopefully, help us realize our social goals.
We can essentially think of friend groups as a form of tribes. Humans are creatures fundamentally concerned with the questions of survival, thriving and reproduction, “Schopenhauer’s will.” While some animals adapt brutalist forms of self-propagation, man’s social nature allows for social solutions. We form societies, cultures, norms, social institutions and hierarchies in order to pursue a collective biological imperative. On top of this, we all have our own personal interests, all of which are likely tied to some sort of genetic imperative. When we understand the idea of social institutions as a mechanism of self-interest, the economics of group formation and popularity become apparent.
The “Robbers Cave Experiment” is a classic, controversial study in social psychology that reveals the goal-oriented nature of cooperation. Boys at a summer camp in Oklahoma were divided into groups and were not made aware of each other’s existence. After realizing they were not alone, the boys demonstrated strong in-group preference and became tribalistic. They became increasingly competitive with each other, with violence eventually breaking out, causing the researchers to actually intervene in the experiment. The groups were only able to come together over one thing, an obstacle that was too hard for them to solve on their own accords, what Muzafer Sharif referred to as a superordinate goal. When the researchers purposely sabotaged the water supply, the two groups of boys came together to fix it, stopped harassing each other and even formed cross-group friendships.
The same trend appeared in higher cognitive mammalian psychology. According to Australian research stationed in Shark Bay, Dolphins form friendships and competing interest groups, but immediately come together when faced with a common threat. This type of political maneuver is referred to as a “third-order alliance.”
We all have goals, and we logically try to surround ourselves with people that contribute to our goals, whether they be personal or collective aspirations. This is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, it’s only rational.
In order to simplify this sorting process, we generally pair into groups of our similars. This blog aptly points out how the psychological literature demonstrates that the biggest determinant of individual friendship is similarity, citing “e.g. McPherson, Smith-Lovin & Cook, 2001; Ellis & Zarbatany, 2007; Parker & Seal, 1996.” Similarity is defined as “having similar attitudes, values, interests and beliefs, while also being of similar age, gender, socioeconomic status, education, and attractiveness,” according to the post, which cites its definition from McPherson, Smith-Lovin & Cook, 2001. We assume those who are similar to us likely have similar goals and can be productive in helping us to realize our own goals.
When it comes to larger groups, we can logically discern popularity is essentially one’s ability, or the perception of their ability, to contribute to a superordinate goal, whether it is the goals of the group at large, or goals that are critical to the human condition more broadly.
It is voluminously recorded in the psychological literature that physical attractiveness is positively correlated with popularity. This makes sense considering our biological imperative towards evolutionary fitness. Though, some recent studies have demonstrated as children age self-perceived levels of attractiveness also have an impact on popularity. This implies that self-confidence plays a role in popularity, which coincides with a utilitarian lens.
An interesting observation in the theory of international relations is power is both a means and an end in itself. It is used to realize other goals but is also pursued for the sake of itself. We see a similar trend with popularity, or social dominance, as it itself is a form of power. According to an APA published longitudinal study conducted among middle school adolescents, lower status individuals attempted to associate themselves with higher status peers to boost their own status, while higher status individuals isolated themselves and attempted to shun out or minimize contact with those of lower social standing.
It would take a lifetime to write an encompassing account of why people make the choices they do. Human nature is often contradictory and people have irrational motivations. People are motivated by love, hate, disgust, virtue and a whole slew of abstract concepts. Friendship is one of these abstract motivations. On an individual level, friendships and interpersonal relationships are a beautiful thing. This fact, however, does not change the fact that our utilitarian analysis of socialization is useful on the macroscale.
Understanding the determinants of friendship and social status can help us to better know how to succeed, where we fit in and how to become more popular, all of which have huge implications on our quality of life. Viewing cooperation through the lens of goal-oriented competency can help us realize where to focus our efforts. We should analyze which social groups we belong to and consider how we can contribute value to the groups’ goals.
—kfors@gmail.com