Cheerleader effect

Biological Parallel

Starling murmurations create the illusion that each bird is a superior flyer—the collective fluid motion makes individual birds appear more coordinated than they are in isolation, where jerky movements become apparent. This perceptual boost evolved because the brain's motion-detection systems average across the group, smoothing individual imperfections into collective grace. The cheerleader effect is evolutionary economizing: rather than track each flock member perfectly (computationally impossible), predator brains evolved ensemble perception that makes targets in groups genuinely appear higher quality than isolated individuals.