5 Minute Summary of The Snowball Effect

1

Simple contagion requires you to only be exposed to it once to be transmitted, whilst complex contagion demands multiple exposures for transmission.

[00:17:40]
For simple contagions, it's often ideas that are familiar, products that we already really know, things that make sense to us intuitively. And so when we see a new one, it's not a lot of work emotionally or cognitively or in any other way to just adopt it and pass it on. Examples of this can include seeing memes and videos online and sharing it with others.

[00:18:07]
Complex contagion's, by contrast, are the kinds of social change initiatives or the kinds of ideas or the kinds of products that are less familiar, and where it often requires people to change their behaviour in some important way. Examples of this include recycling more or practicing safe sex.

Complex contagions often require reinforcement not just from one, but from multiple people, whilst the quality and strength of the relationship of who you're hearing this from is an important factor too.

1

Simple contagion requires you to only be exposed to it once to be transmitted, whilst complex contagion demands multiple exposures for transmission.

[00:17:40]
For simple contagions, it's often ideas that are familiar, products that we already really know, things that make sense to us intuitively. And so when we see a new one, it's not a lot of work emotionally or cognitively or in any other way to just adopt it and pass it on. Examples of this can include seeing memes and videos online and sharing it with others.

[00:18:07]
Complex contagion's, by contrast, are the kinds of social change initiatives or the kinds of ideas or the kinds of products that are less familiar, and where it often requires people to change their behaviour in some important way. Examples of this include recycling more or practicing safe sex.

Complex contagions often require reinforcement not just from one, but from multiple people, whilst the quality and strength of the relationship of who you're hearing this from is an important factor too.

2

Social proof is when people change their behavior because they see the people around them changing their behavior.

I use Facebook because other people are on Facebook. I march on the streets because I see other people like me marching on the streets.

If you apply that insight to the science of change. The real question to ask might not be how do I make this person change, but how can I show the person that the people around them are changing?

When trying to have change, there are two goals. One is, of course, to have new adopters get excited about the idea. But there's a second part, which is that if the idea is fairly contentious, people who adopt early on, if they see that no one else has adopted, may wind up giving it up. And because of this, having connections to existing adopters and to people who are showing support for an idea is incredibly important to sustaining an idea.

2

Social proof is when people change their behavior because they see the people around them changing their behavior.

I use Facebook because other people are on Facebook. I march on the streets because I see other people like me marching on the streets.

If you apply that insight to the science of change. The real question to ask might not be how do I make this person change, but how can I show the person that the people around them are changing?

When trying to have change, there are two goals. One is, of course, to have new adopters get excited about the idea. But there's a second part, which is that if the idea is fairly contentious, people who adopt early on, if they see that no one else has adopted, may wind up giving it up. And because of this, having connections to existing adopters and to people who are showing support for an idea is incredibly important to sustaining an idea.

3

Celebrities & influencers are often effective at sparking awareness but not very effective at sparking behavioral change. Why?

Influencers have significant amounts of reach in terms of audience, which means they can drive awareness. But the strength of the ties with their audience, is relatively weak; making it hard to drive behavioral change.

At the same time, influences have much higher stakes because of their reputation. They also didn't get to an influencer position without caring about what other people think. So often they wait until something gets enough traction in the periphery of the network, before they get involved, because the costs to them are so high.

This is one of the reasons why social change almost always originates in the periphery of the network.

3

Celebrities & influencers are often effective at sparking awareness but not very effective at sparking behavioral change. Why?

Influencers have significant amounts of reach in terms of audience, which means they can drive awareness. But the strength of the ties with their audience, is relatively weak; making it hard to drive behavioral change.

At the same time, influences have much higher stakes because of their reputation. They also didn't get to an influencer position without caring about what other people think. So often they wait until something gets enough traction in the periphery of the network, before they get involved, because the costs to them are so high.

This is one of the reasons why social change almost always originates in the periphery of the network.