Should you copy what the person in front of you orders?
Every signal contains information and uncertainty.
Watching other customers is one of the oldest decision shortcuts in the world.
The hidden mechanism is information borrowing. Instead of evaluating every option independently, people often use the choices of others as evidence.
Imagine entering a bakery with twenty unfamiliar products. Seeing multiple customers select the same item provides a signal that may reduce uncertainty.
A second-order effect appears when everyone follows the same signal. Popular products become even more popular simply because people observe others choosing them.
People often think copying another customer means copying their decision. In reality, you are copying the information that shaped their decision without knowing whether their goal matches yours.
