Final answer:
Social proof refers to people's reliance on others' actions in uncertain situations, and it is supported by research like Solomon Asch's conformity experiments. Sociological research uses empirical evidence and peer reviews to understand social proof. Asch's experiments illustrated that people are less likely to conform to a group's incorrect position if they have an ally.
Step-by-step explanation:
Research has shown that the concept of social proof can dramatically influence how people make decisions and handle uncertain situations. For instance, in an emergency situation such as perceiving smoke in a theater, people often look to others' actions to decide what to do, illustrating informational social influence. When others appear alarmed and evacuate, an individual is likely to follow, while if other patrons appear unconcerned, the individual might dismiss the potential danger and stay.
Conducts experiments to minimize bias and subjectivity, as demonstrated by the peer-reviewed studies found in scholarly journals. The research aims to analyze empirical evidence resulting from direct experiences and validate the findings through peer reviews and repetition in different contexts.
One of the landmark studies in this field was conducted by psychologist Solomon Asch. His experiments highlighted the pressure to conform within a group. He found that subjects were more likely to dissent from a wrong majority opinion if they had at least one ally in the group. This suggests that having support makes it easier to resist conformity pressure.