cheerleader effect in psychology

The cheerleader effect is a phenomenon in which people tend to appear more attractive when they are in a group rather than when they are viewed individually. This effect is thought to occur because people tend to focus on the group as a whole rather than on each individual person. This leads to a perception that the group is more attractive than its individual members.

The term "cheerleader effect" was coined by the character Barney Stinson in the television show "How I Met Your Mother," but the concept has been studied in psychology. A study by Walker and Vul (2013) found that people tend to rate faces as more attractive when they are presented in a group rather than alone. The authors suggest that this effect may be due to a cognitive mechanism that simplifies the visual processing of groups of people.

Reference

Walker, M., & Vul, E. (2013). Hierarchical encoding makes individuals in a group appear more attractive. Psychological science, 24(11), 2306-2315. doi:10.1177/0956797613497960

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

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