Social Verification Theory: A New Way to Conceptualize Validation, Dissonance, and Belonging

Abstract

Academic Abstract In the present review, we propose a theory that seeks to recontextualize various existing theories as functions of people’s perceptions of their consistency with those around them. This theory posits that people seek social consistency for both epistemic and relational needs and that social inconsistency is both negative and aversive, similar to the experience of cognitive dissonance. We further posit that the aversive nature of perceiving social inconsistency leads people to engage in various behaviors to mitigate or avoid these inconsistencies. When these behaviors fail, however, people experience chronic social inconsistency, which, much like chronic rejection, is associated with physical and mental health and well-being outcomes. Finally, we describe how mitigation and avoidance of social inconsistency underlie many seemingly unrelated theories, and we provide directions for how future research may expand on this theory. Public Abstract In the present review, we propose that people find inconsistency with those around them to be an unpleasant experience, as it threatens people’s core need to belong. Because the threat of reduced belongingness evokes negative feelings, people are motivated to avoid inconsistency with others and to mitigate the negative feelings that are produced when it inevitably does arise. We outline several types of behaviors that can be implemented to avoid or mitigate these inconsistencies (e.g., validation, affirmation, distancing, etc.). When these behaviors cannot be implemented successfully, people experience chronic invalidation, which is associated with reduced physical and mental health and well-being outcomes. We discuss how invalidation may disproportionately affect individuals with minoritized identities. Furthermore, we discuss how belongingness could play a key role in radicalization into extremist groups.

The Temporal Dynamics of Attitudinal Conflict in Daily Life: An Experience Sampling Study of Conflict Emergence and Resolution

“…Forming opinions and making decisions is an integral part of life. However, attitudinal conflicts pervade a wide range of daily activities and life events, including health behavior, interpersonal relations, and morality (Effron & Helgason, 2023;Hillman et al, 2022;. Such conflicts threaten basic needs by impeding effective action and causing distress (Cialdini et al, 1995;Vaccaro et al, 2020;van Harreveld et al, 2015;Zoppolat et al, 2023).…”

“…From early psychological theories to contemporary ones, it has been postulated that people experience attitudinal conflict when facing inconsistency (e.g., Hillman et al, 2022;Lewin, 1935).…”

Comparing synonymous adjectives in Vietnamese and English

“…Em vez disso, elas se concentram no estudo das relações entre os eventos psíquicos e o comportamento real, e como eles afetam um ao outro. A teoria da verificação (Hillman;Fowlie;MacDonald, 2023;Chen;Wei, 2023) sustenta que uma expressão tem significado se e somente se esse significado puder ser determinado por meio de evidências de sentenças ou cláusulas que contenham a expressão. Essa teoria se concentra principalmente em determinar o significado das expressões por meio da verificabilidade.…”

The Influence of Xiaohongshu on Female Consumer s Choices

“…Young females' behavior in Xiaohongshu clearly demonstrates the impact of social verification theory. They prefer content that aligns with their personal interests and aesthetic tastes, particularly positive narratives from brands and influencers [9]. Javed et al highlighted that digital influencers are instrumental in shaping content distribution and influencing consumer decision-making [10].…”