The Public Relations BlogMedia & PsychologySocial Psychology

Social Psychologyby jerry silfwer

Here you’ll find all Doctor Spin’s articles on social psychology in public relations, media logic, and communication science.

Social Psychology

Online Wannabeism: Why We Mimic Social Media Influencers

Online wannabeism is when a regular social media user starts to mimic influencer mannerisms — without an actual audience to address.

Social Psychology

The Useful Idiot Syndrome

The useful idiot syndrome is amplifying online hate. By overcompensating to signal moral values, we all stir up online aggression.

Social Psychology

The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon: Heard About It Before?

Ever heard of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon? It’s when you notice something out of the ordinary, only to notice it again short thereafter. And it’s weird.

Social Psychology

The Spiral of Silence

Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s well-documented theory on the spiral of silence (1974) explains why fear of isolation might serve the emergence of populism.

Social Psychology

58 Logical Fallacies and Cognitive Biases

We should strive to be less stupid by studying logical fallacies and cognitive biases. This is helpful in PR, too, since we deal with human communication daily.

Social Psychology

Survivorship Bias — Abraham Wald and the WWII Planes

Survivorship bias is a common fallacy; at times it’s better to study “the planes that didn’t return.” Don’t let the success of others dictate your strategy.

Social Psychology

The Power of Artificial Scarcity

Scarcity makes us want rare things more — simply because they are fewer. By creating artificial scarcity, we use this power. But is it ethical?

Social Psychology

Diffusion of Innovations

Developed by Everett Rogers, the Diffusion of Innovations theory explains how, why, and how fast new ideas and technology spread, particularly useful for PR.

Social Psychology

The Narcissistic Principle: Why We Share in Social Media

To get shares in social media, you must leave something out, a gap for the sharer to fill in order to express themselves. It’s the narcissistic principle.

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