PERSUASION SOCIAL INFLUENCE COMPLIANCE GAINING 5 TH ed

PERSUASION, SOCIAL INFLUENCE, & COMPLIANCE GAINING, 5 TH ed. 1 E R S RP E T Y U A S IO N ? D P U A T S H Y C W H Prepared by Robert Gass & John Seiter COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1

AIMS AND GOALS Understanding how persuasion function by § learning about the how’s and why’s of persuasion § learning about current theories and research on persuasion § examining “real-life” illustrations of persuasion Understanding that persuasion is both an art and science § People can be stubborn, unpredictable § Even the most well-funded, well-designed persuasive campaigns may fail Learning to become a more effective practitioner of persuasion COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2

PERSUASION IS NOT A DIRTY WORD Persuasion has gotten a bad rap § Hucksters, charlatans, unethical advertisers, and unscrupulous politicians have misused persuasion § Persuasion is sometimes associated with manipulation, brainwashing, deceit § Non-obvious or accidental influence: social modeling of risk behaviors in movies Persuasion is an “art” and a science. § People can be stubborn, unpredictable § Even the most well-funded, well-designed persuasive campaigns may fail COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3

PERSUASION IS OUR FRIEND Persuasion is a positive social force § persuasion helps open closed societies and make government more transparent “Always wear your helmet. ” § persuasion is essential for charities and relief efforts § persuasive campaigns are used to promote public health and safety § Parents employ persuasion to urge their children to stay safe, avoid danger § Intimates use persuasion to negotiate relational rules § coaches use persuasion to motivate underdog teams COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4

PERVASIVENESS OF PERSUASION Persuasion is omnipresent § The average person sees hundreds of ads per day Obvious and not so obvious forms of persuasion § buzz marketing generates free advertising § word of mouth (WOM) appears more genuine and authentic § social media enables the use of webtracking and sentiment tracking Image courtesy of www. freefoto. com COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 5

TIPPING POINTS Like a virus, word about a product or service spreads from one consumer to another Tipping point: § the threshold or critical point at which an idea, product, or message takes off Viral theory of marketing: § ideas and messages can be contagious, just like diseases The law of the few § Large numbers of people are not required to generate a trend § A select few enjoy a disproportionate amount of influence over others COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 6

TIPPING POINTS: KEY INFLUENCERS Mavens possess information, expertise, and seek to share it Connectors know everybody, are networkers, have many contacts § “Mavens are data banks. They provide the message. ” (Gladwell) § “Connectors are social glue: they spread it. ” (Gladwell) § Mavens want to educate more than persuade or sell § They are social gadflies; they blog, chat, text, twitter § They have large social circles Salespeople are active advocates § They are charismatic § They are good at building rapport. § They often rely on “soft” influence (not the hard sell). Note: All three types of connectors are needed for a phenomenon to take-off COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7

TIPPING POINTS: ADDITIONAL FACTORS Power of context § The idea, message, or product must happen at the right time and place The stickiness factor § The idea, message, or product has to be “sticky” or inherently attractive Scalability § A message must be able to go from very small to very large without “gearing up. ” Effortless transfer § the message must be easy to disseminate § “word of mouse” § leveraging free media COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 8

TIPPING POINTS--CAUTIONS AND CAVEATS Momentum may not reach the tipping point § No guarantee the initial “buzz” will become contagious § Difficult to orchestrate word of mouth § Good ideas don’t always gain traction § Trends come and go quickly § Like a contagion, a trend can die out quickly or be replaced by a new one COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 9

GAMIFICATION People naturally enjoy playing games § Games are fun, challenging, rewarding § The element of competition increases motivation Gamification applies principles of game design to engage users § Games capture and hold users’ attention § Points, leaderboards, and badges can increase engagement Persuaders use games to encourage consumer participation § For example, Nike+ encourages runners to share and compare their workouts Drawbacks to gamification § Overuse may lead to boredom, fatigue § Some maintain the practice is exploitative COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 10

PERVASIVENESS OF PERSUASION Persuasion in the Sciences § Scientists are actively involved in persuasion § Over theories and paradigms § Over methodologies and research findings § Over grants and funding Persuasion in the Arts § Artists seek to shape public opinion in and through their work § Picasso’s Guernica (1937) offers a moral indictment of war § Movies can change attitudes, alter beliefs, increase awareness COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11

PERVASIVENESS OF PERSUASION Non-obvious Contexts for Persuasion § Bumper stickers § 12 step programs § Intercessory prayer (3 rd party) § Plays and musicals § Panhandling This homeless person is using humor/satire as a panhandling strategy (photo by John Seiter) COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 12

PERVASIVENESS OF PERSUASION Weird Persuasion § A town changed its name to Dish, Texas as a buzz marketing ploy § William Shatner’s kidney stone was auctioned off on e. Bay § Acne lights were installed to discourage teen loitering COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 13

PERVASIVENESS OF PERSUASION Persuasion in interpersonal contexts § Most influence attempts occur in the interpersonal arena § 90% of word-of-mouth (WOM) occurs in offline settings § Persuasion is most effective in face-to-face contexts § Less obvious or overt § Harder to say “No” in person § Easier to analyze, adapt to one’s audience COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 14

INSTRUMENTAL FUNCTION OF PERSUASION Improving one’s own persuasive abilities Persuasion skill is a form of communication competence § Communication competence requires effectiveness and appropriateness § Like any skill-set, persuasive skills can be improved through training and practice COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 15

KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS FUNCTION Gaining a better understanding of how persuasion works Overcoming habitual persuasion: § Individuals are often unaware of their own habitual, reflexive patterns of persuasion COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 16

DEFENSIVE FUNCTION § Becoming a more savvy, discerning consumer of persuasive messages § Third person effect; people underestimate the effects of advertising on themselves § They overestimate the effects of advertising on others § Being less likely to succumb to high pressure sales tactics § Exposing unethical strategies and tactics COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 17

DEBUNKING FUNCTION Dispelling folk-wisdom, false stereotypes, and “common-sense” misconceptions about persuasion § gaze avoidance is not a reliable sign of deception § Subliminal influence is ineffective Learning about non-obvious, counterintuitive research findings § The “logic” versus “emotion” distinction represents a false dichotomy COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 18

TWO CRITICISMS OF PERSUASION 1. Is teaching/learning about persuasion manipulative? § The study of persuasion is fraught with ethical concerns § Little of the good in the world could be accomplished without persuasion § Not studying persuasion, won’t make persuasion go away § People who claim that persuasion is manipulative are themselves taking a persuasive stance COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 19

TWO CRITICISMS OF PERSUASION 2. Are persuasion findings inconsistent or confusing? § Persuasion deserves study because it is complicated § A number of reliable generalizations have been uncovered COPYRIGHT © 2011 PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 20