Influence Science and Practice
Encyclopedia
Influence: Science and Practice (ISBN 0-321-18895-0) is a Psychology
book examining the key ways people can be influenced by "Compliance Professionals". The book's author is Robert B. Cialdini
, Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University.
The key premise of the book is that, in a complex world where people are overloaded with more information
than they can deal with, people fall back on a decision making approach based on generalizations. These generalizations develop because they allow people to usually act in a correct manner with a limited amount of thought and time. However, they can be exploited and effectively turned into weapons by those who know them to influence others to act certain ways.
The findings in the book are backed up by numerous empirical
studies conducted in the fields of Psychology
, Marketing
, Economics
, Anthropology
and Social Science.
The author also worked undercover in many compliance
fields such as car sales and door-to-door sales.
The key "weapons of influence" outlined are:
Compliance professionals often play on this trait by offering a small gift to potential customers. Studies have shown that even if the gift is unwanted, it will influence the recipient to reciprocate.
A variation on this theme is to ask for a particularly big favour. When this is turned down, a smaller favour is asked for. This is likely to be successful because a concession on one side (the downscaling of the favour) will be reciprocated by a concession by the other party (agreement to the smaller favour).
Reciprocation is an application of Reciprocity (social psychology)
.
Compliance professionals can exploit the desire to be consistent by having someone make an initial, often small, commitment. Requests can then be made that are in keeping with this initial commitment.
People also have a strong desire to stand by commitments made by providing further justification and reasons for supporting them. This pattern of behaviour toward or resulting in a negative outcome is called escalation of commitment
.
This trait has led compliance professionals to provide fake information on what others are doing. Examples of this are staged interviews on television advertisements or "infomercials".
There are several factors that can influence people to like some people more than others:
Any one of the above methods may not help influence people, but used in combination, their effects can be magnified.
ran by Stanley Milgram
provided some of the most stunning insights into how influential authority
can be over others.
People often act in an automated fashion to commands from authority, even if their instincts suggest the commands should not be followed.
It has also been shown that when information is restricted (such as through censorship
), people want the information more and will hold that information in higher regard.
Items are also given a higher value when they were once in high supply but have now become scarce.
The concepts presented above may be incorporated into a process to be followed by prospective influencers.
The required preliminary activity is to make sure that the contemplated situation should indeed follow the influencing process as compared to some other similar process. This diagram helps in evaluating this decision. Next, if influencing is appropriate for the contemplated situation, the following steps may be performed.
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
book examining the key ways people can be influenced by "Compliance Professionals". The book's author is Robert B. Cialdini
Robert Cialdini
Robert B. Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University.He is best known for his popular book on persuasion and marketing, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Influence has sold over 2 million copies and has been translated into twenty-six...
, Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University.
The key premise of the book is that, in a complex world where people are overloaded with more information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
than they can deal with, people fall back on a decision making approach based on generalizations. These generalizations develop because they allow people to usually act in a correct manner with a limited amount of thought and time. However, they can be exploited and effectively turned into weapons by those who know them to influence others to act certain ways.
The findings in the book are backed up by numerous empirical
Empirical
The word empirical denotes information gained by means of observation or experimentation. Empirical data are data produced by an experiment or observation....
studies conducted in the fields of Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, Marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and Social Science.
The author also worked undercover in many compliance
Compliance (regulation)
In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Regulatory compliance describes the goal that corporations or public agencies aspire to in their efforts to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws and...
fields such as car sales and door-to-door sales.
The key "weapons of influence" outlined are:
Reciprocation
People generally feel obliged to return favours offered to them. This trait is embodied in all human cultures and is one of the human characteristics that allow us to live as a society.Compliance professionals often play on this trait by offering a small gift to potential customers. Studies have shown that even if the gift is unwanted, it will influence the recipient to reciprocate.
A variation on this theme is to ask for a particularly big favour. When this is turned down, a smaller favour is asked for. This is likely to be successful because a concession on one side (the downscaling of the favour) will be reciprocated by a concession by the other party (agreement to the smaller favour).
Reciprocation is an application of Reciprocity (social psychology)
Reciprocity (social psychology)
Reciprocity in social psychology refers to responding to a positive action with another positive action, rewarding kind actions. People categorize an action as kind by viewing its consequences and also by the person's fundamental intentions. Even if the consequences are the same, underlying...
.
Commitment and consistency
People have a general desire to appear consistent in their behaviour. People generally also value consistency in others.Compliance professionals can exploit the desire to be consistent by having someone make an initial, often small, commitment. Requests can then be made that are in keeping with this initial commitment.
People also have a strong desire to stand by commitments made by providing further justification and reasons for supporting them. This pattern of behaviour toward or resulting in a negative outcome is called escalation of commitment
Escalation of commitment
Escalation of commitment was first described by Barry M. Staw in his 1976 paper, "Knee deep in the big muddy: A study of escalating commitment to a chosen course of action"...
.
Social proof
People generally look to other people similar to themselves when making decisions. This is particularly noticeable in situations of uncertainty or ambiguity.This trait has led compliance professionals to provide fake information on what others are doing. Examples of this are staged interviews on television advertisements or "infomercials".
Liking
People are more likely to agree to offers from people whom they like.There are several factors that can influence people to like some people more than others:
- Physical attractivenessPhysical attractivenessPhysical attractiveness refers to a person's physical traits which are perceived to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from the two; for example, humans may regard the young as attractive for various...
can give people a "halo" effect whereby others are more likely to trust them and think of them as smarter and more talented.
- People tend to like people who are most like themselves.
- People tend to like those who pay them compliments.
- People who they are forced to cooperate with to achieve a common goal tend to form a trust with those people.
- People tend to like people that make them laugh. For example, think about how many lectures start with a joke.
Any one of the above methods may not help influence people, but used in combination, their effects can be magnified.
Authority
The Milgram experimentMilgram experiment
The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures was a series of notable social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram, which measured the willingness of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that...
ran by Stanley Milgram
Stanley Milgram
Stanley Milgram was an American social psychologist most notable for his controversial study known as the Milgram Experiment. The study was conducted in the 1960s during Milgram's professorship at Yale...
provided some of the most stunning insights into how influential authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
can be over others.
People often act in an automated fashion to commands from authority, even if their instincts suggest the commands should not be followed.
Scarcity
People tend to want things as they become less available. This has led advertisers to promote goods as "limited availability", or "short time only".It has also been shown that when information is restricted (such as through censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
), people want the information more and will hold that information in higher regard.
Items are also given a higher value when they were once in high supply but have now become scarce.
Influencing as a process
This section while interesting has nothing to do with Cialdini's book. Cialdini makes no attempt to tell the reader how to use these techniques.The concepts presented above may be incorporated into a process to be followed by prospective influencers.
The required preliminary activity is to make sure that the contemplated situation should indeed follow the influencing process as compared to some other similar process. This diagram helps in evaluating this decision. Next, if influencing is appropriate for the contemplated situation, the following steps may be performed.
- Phase 1: Before the influencing session
- Step 1: Prepare and plan: The first step is to determine exactly what the influencer needs from the people to be influenced, or client(s). Next, the needs and wants of the client are determined and the opening statement is prepared. The opening statement should present an offer that, if accepted, will also help to satisfy the influencer's needs. Possible negative reactions are anticipated and useful responses are planned. Role-play is a good way of maximizing the effectiveness of the preparation. Consult Influencing for details and examples.
- Phase 2: At the influencing meeting
- Step 2: The opening statement is presented.
- Step 3: The client's needs are confirmed.
- Step 4: Listen to the client's response and respond appropriately.
- Step 5: Ask the client to accept the prepared offer.
- Step 6: If the client accepts, thanks are expressed and any required formalities are completed. If the client refuses, another attempt may be made at another time or another potential client may be visited.
- Phase 3: Analysis after the meeting.
- Step 7: Reviewing the influencing experience helps one learn the lessons on how to achieve a better outcome. Therefore, one should take the time to review each element and ask oneself, "what went well?" and "what could be improved next time?"