People adopt modeled behaviors only when they see similar others rewarded for them.

Evidence

It is possible that the activation of loyalty and authority in contexts similar to that of our study occurs fairly automatically and thus is largely independent of individual characteristics such as attachment and glorification. Its translation into behavior, however, may not be as automatic. For instance, for low glorifiers (low attached), automatic activation of the loyalty/authority principles would not necessarily turn into a congruent behavior, and may even lead to its opposite (Wheeler et al., 2007), either because of the perceived contrast between the activated construct(s) and the self, or because of a deliberate decision by the individual to display a behavior consistent with one’s sense of self (as opposed to the principle that is activated). — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 2144 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Seriality makes people model behavior on an imagined other that never actually exists. — Fredric Jameson, Marxism and Form, 498; Social information is only a reliable cue if current behavior already outperforms random. — Joe Henrich and Robert Boyd, The Evolution of Conformist…, 32; People choose social comparison partners only when similar on the judged feature (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Automatic moral activation fails to drive behavior for people weakly attached to a group. #complicates (0.73) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 2144