cheerleader effect

noun

A form of cognitive bias that causes individuals to appear more attractive to an observer when they are in a group.

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Meanings

noun
  1. A form of cognitive bias that causes individuals to appear more attractive to an observer when they are in a group.

Origin

First used by the fictional character Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) in "Not a Father's Day", an episode of the TV series How I Met Your Mother, first broadcast in November 2008.

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Cite this entry
APA

cheerleader effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheerleader%20effect

MLA

“cheerleader effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheerleader%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cheerleader effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cheerleader%20effect.

Source: cheerleader effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.