This page is a part of the fallacies lecture notes and presents one major type of fallacy, including examples and help to avoid them in your arguments. I recommend you take notes on this fallacy, summarizing the definition and examples in your own words.

Bandwagon Fallacy

The bandwagon fallacy is also sometimes called the appeal to common belief or appeal to the masses because it’s all about getting people to do or think something because “everyone else is doing it” or “everything else thinks this.” A fallacy of pathos, the bandwagon approach is one of several versions of the ad populum fallacy, but what they all have in common is that in them, the arguer takes advantage of the desire most people have to be liked and to fit in with others and uses that desire to try to get the audience to accept his or her argument.

Definition:

The arguer appeals to people who agree with the view or to the popularity of the view as evidence that the view is acceptable. Often, the focus is on the sheer numbers of people.

Examples:

"Everyone is going to get the new smart phone when it comes out this weekend. Why aren’t you?"

“All men who buy a pick-up truck include four-wheel drive and a towing package in their purchase.”

"It's okay to use Chat-GPT to cheat on your essays because everybody else is."

"You should join us; we're all going to the party."

Explanation:

In the first two examples, the arguer appeals to the frequency or the prestige of the purchase rather than the price or the need of the purchase. Even if many people buy the new smart phone or even if most men buy trucks with these features, why should I? In the last two examples, the sheer numbers of people participating are used to persuade.

Of course, the problem with this fallacy is not everyone is actually doing this. And there is another problem that’s important to point out. Just because a lot of people think something or do something does not mean it’s right or good to do. For example, until the sixteenth century, most people believed the earth was the center of the universe; of course, believing that did not make it true.

You want to be careful to avoid this fallacy, as it’s easy to fall into this kind of thinking. Think about what your parents asked you when you insisted that “everyone” was doing something that you were not getting to do: “If everyone of your friends jumped off of a cliff, would you?” It’s important to fight the urge to fall into a bandwagon fallacy.

How To Avoid This Fallacy

These types of arguments are deceiving, and it’s best to avoid them. But how?

Separate emotion from reason. It is so easy to allow emotions to influence our decisions. Do not let your emotions dictate what you do or what you say or what you write. Instead, examine the actual evidence supporting your action or your decision.

Be wary of peer pressure. Unfortunately, much of what some people do is based on negative influences and feelings that one must do the same things as other people of one's age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them. Teenagers and school-aged children are not the only ones bombarded by these pressures; adults are as well.