In a world where social influence often shapes our choices, the BBC’s hit series The Traitors offers a thrilling glimpse into the psychology of trust, deception, and group dynamics.
As contestants navigate a high-stakes game of betrayal, viewers are left pondering a crucial question: how far can the power of herd mentality push individuals to act against their own intuition and opinions?
We’ve spoken to some psychologists who have shared insights on how herd mentality impacts decision-making, highlighting some key lessons about human behaviour that the tense competition brings to light.
What is herd mentality?
“Herd mentality is the psychological tendency of individuals to conform to the behaviours, beliefs or decisions within a larger group,” explains Dr Rachael Molitor, a chartered psychologist and lecturer at Coventry University. “This is similar to the psychological concept of group conformity whereby the majority of beliefs and behaviours can be seen to sway the minority, overriding personal opinions and thoughts.
“Herd mentality as a terminology originates from the observations in animal behaviour and characteristics where groups of animals may act collectively due to the need for survival.”
What causes it? And how does it influence decision making?
It’s primarily driven by three key factors; fear of isolation, cognitive ease and trust in the majority.
“People often conform to avoid being excluded or judged, they want a sense of belonging and will fit in and follow the crowd,” says Dr Lalitaa Suglani, psychologist and the author of High Functioning Anxiety (Hay House, £12.99). “Cognitive ease is another influential factor as it’s easier to follow others than to analyse every decision independently.
“A belief that the group knows best may also reduce individual accountability.”
In addition, an outpour of emotion can cloud intuition and change people’s minds in an instant. Especially in high pressured situations like the round table (cue Minah’s Oscar-winning crocodile tears in episode six).
“Group emotions, like fear, excitement, or anger spread quickly, influencing individual decisions,” says Suglani.
What examples have we seen of this on The Traitors?
In order to banish a Traitor from the castle on the show, the majority of the group need to vote for the same person, so the round table’s format encourages herd mentality.
This is most visible during the eliminations when many of the quieter, less confident contestants jump on the bandwagon to vote people out.
“Players often nominate others based on popular opinion rather than personal suspicion,” reflects Suglani.
And you only have to watch the first few episodes to see how dominant voices, such as powerhouse Armani, can sway the majority.
“This has been seen a number of times around the round table on The Traitors in all series, whereby a particular well-known or popular contestant may add their views to the conversation and others will follow with their opinions, or changing their views to fit in with the majority,” notes Molitor.
“This is due to another psychological factor called confidence bias, where a particularly popular person’s view would have a stronger weighting than another who shows less popularity.”
What are the pros and cons of herd mentality in real life and on The Traitors?
Following the crowd has had evolutionary benefits for survival in the past as it promotes efficiency.
“Herd mentality can support decision-making when time is of the essence and information is limited,” highlights Molitor. “Fostering group cohesion, which can be protective or beneficial within everyday life.”
However, succumbing to groupthink in every situation can have consequences.
“Irrationality can be a con of herd mentality as decisions may prioritise conformity over accuracy or fairness,” notes Suglani.
A groupthink mindset can also suppress divergent ideas and lead to poor outcomes, adds Suglani, as shown when faithful after faithful were banished at the start of this season.
“Savvy individuals can also exploit herd behaviour for personal gain,” adds Suglani.
What key lessons about human behaviour we can learn from The Traitors?
Firstly, perception can be easily manipulated.
“People are easily swayed by confidence and authority, even when those traits mask deception,” says Suglani.
Secondly, fear drives conformity.
“In high-pressure situations, fear of being wrong or excluded (not part of the group or not having belonging) often overrides logic, which also shows how important community is,” says Suglani.
And lastly, putting yourself out there with a different opinion is scary and can make you feel vulnerable.
“While gut instincts are valuable, they can be clouded by group dynamics and emotions,” reflects Suglani. “Breaking free from herd mentality demands courage, critical thinking, and the ability to trust one’s judgement.”
