The Bandwagon Effect, Herd Mentality in the UFO Subculture.

Greetings. The Bandwagon Effect. A ticket to ride the UFO train to herd mentality. 

The bandwagon effect is a psychological phenomenon in which people do something primarily because other people are doing it, regardless of their own belief structures, which they may ignore, override, or abandon. This tendency of people to align their beliefs and behaviors with those of a larger group is commonly referred to as a herd mentality.

Following others' actions or beliefs can occur because of the influence of information coming from others. A substantial majority of the bandwagon effect's influence comes from the desire to 'fit in' with peers; by making similar selections as other people, this is seen as a way to gain access to a particular social club or group. The phenomenon is observed in various fields, such as economics, political science, medicine, and psychology. In social psychology, people's tendency to align their belief structures and personal behaviors with a group is also known as 'herd mentality.' The so-called reverse bandwagon effect is a cognitive bias that causes people to avoid doing something, because they believe that other people are doing it, but that is a phenomenon deserving of another article.

Back in the late 1970's, when the Roswell case first came to the attention of UFO researchers and the public in general, alleged witnesses were still having to be found through dedicated investigative efforts. As the years slowly passed however, people claiming to have been a part of the event began to come out of the woodwork, like a bunch of hungry termites. Researchers like Kevin D. Randle, Thomas J. Carey, Donald R. Schmitt, and the late Stanton T. Friedman found themselves sifting through a mess of claims and testimonials coming from people who may have been attempting to attach themselves to the Roswell case, for reasons unknown. Many of the aforementioned claims turned out to be false, some hoaxed. Today's UFO environment is not all that different, with some alleged witnesses attaining celebrity status in the eyes of many people in the UFO arena. 

Some alleged UFO events originate with the story of a single individual, wanting of any sort of physical evidence or documentation to support the story. The Berkshire County UFO tale is one such alleged event, void of physical evidence or documentation, in fact, void of anything save the anecdotal testimonials of the witnesses. The people claiming to have witnessed the event all know each other, and have interacted with each other to a considerable degree, which calls the veracity of their individual claims into question. The details given by the alleged witnesses don't quite add up, with each story having differences from the others. Despite claims of contact with local police, no records of any calls being made by the public concerning an unidentified flying object have been found. None. Once the claims of Thom Reed, pictured above, came to public knowledge, alleged witnesses to the event began to surface, all touting their personal involvement with the event in question. Can you say "The Bandwagon Effect?"

The effect influences all aspects of the UFO subculture, not just alleged witnesses, but some researchers too. Many an investigator has made the ill-advised decision to embrace claims that they know in their heart of hearts to be untrue, abandoning their personal and professional integrity in the process. The lure of fame and notoriety is strong, with the simple desire to be part of the UFO social club being an integral part of the puzzle. The end result is that some researchers have morphed into celebrities; promoting, networking, and embracing everything that falls into the UFO limelight. Never a negative word escapes from their mouths, wouldn't want to place your membership in the UFO social club in jeopardy. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.