Psychology Project on Persuasion

8/6/2019 Psychology Project on Persuasion

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Psychology

Projecton Persuasion

Presented By

The Hypnotechs

Group no. 3


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F.Y.B.M.M.

Group No 3

(The Hypnotechs)

Names: Roll No:

Amit Gawande 12

Sheel Aurangabadkar 04

Janmejay Singh 18

Minal Anand 02

Zobar Rizvi 43

Akshita Rao 42

Richard 30


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Acknowledgements

OUR SINCERE THANKS GO TO RUMINAMAM WHO GUIDED US EVERY INSTANT IN

COMPLETING THIS PROJECT. WE WOULD ALSO

LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE FRIENDS AND

RELATIVES, WHOSE CONSTRUCTIVE

FEEDBACK HELPED US COMPLETE THIS

PROJECT.

MOST IMPORTANTLY THANKS TO OUR

PARENTS, AND GOD WHO PROVIDED US WITH

THE RESOURCES FOR THE COMPLETION OF

THE PROJECT.

THEHYPNOTECHS


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IndexI. Introduction Persuasion Magic or Science

The two Routes to Successful Persuasion

Persuasion effect: The 4 patterns Of Influence

II. Thoughtful Persuasion

1. The three types of Influencers

2. How toi. Build Trust and sell experience

ii. Use Personality type to persuade

iii. Give words added impact

iv. Win peoples heart and mind

v. Structure and Packaging

vi. Target the groups

vii. Outwit your opponents

III. Mindless Persuasion Some Triggers of AutomaticInfluence

IV. Conclusion

The Icons of Influence of the Twentieth century

Bibliography


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Persuasion - Magic, or Science?

Aristotle said "Rhetoric is the art of discovering, in a particular case, the available means

of persuasion."

But Persuasion has often been believed to be a dark magic, practiced byBusinessmen and Advertisers. Another fear induced in people was their

belief that they were being subliminally persuaded. This fear was propagatedby a Canadian professor Mr. William Bryan Key. He claimed that messagessuch as Buy this product were being flashed across the screen for 1/3000 th

of a second, to quick for the human eye to see but subliminally convincingthe customers to buy their product.

Seducing Ourselves

A lot of people believe that they are immune to persuasion. If wepause to consider, the hundreds of commercials, topped by the speeches ofthe politicians and so on and on do persuade us, and one can hardly resist the

persuasion after some time.

The most easily flattered are the self centred people, who are fooledby messages such as, dont follow the crowd, you are unique. Join us. And

this rebel worship group is easiest to persuade and ever the target ofadvertisers.

But what has to be understood is that Persuasion is neither blackmagic, nor the work of cheap tricksters. It is a versatile art that aims atunderstanding human psychology and using the skill to persuade others toyour thinking, or however you wish them to think.

And persuasion requires no defence, except to understand what

persuasion is. Because the price for our being nave is too high. Becausesometimes our persuasion can lead to years of war. Because if persuasionreaches the superego, there is no escape. This has been approached even inmovies such as Psycho (By Alfred Hitchcock).


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Thoughtful Persuasion, Mindless InfluenceThe Two Routes to Successful Persuasion

One responds to persuasive messages in two ways, thoughtfully andmindlessly. When thoughtful, we carefully consider what the persuader istrying to express and weigh the odds of considering his offer by asking morequestions and asking for more information.

But when being persuaded mindlessly, our focus is not on the topics,and we rely more on our instincts, or reactions of our friends etc. It is easierto persuade anybody who is mindless towards persuaders.

Persuasion effect - The four patterns ofInfluence

Management professor Charles Margerison identified four conversationpatterns that occur when people try to influence each other.

1. Persuasion EffectThe First pattern is called the persuasion effect. In this case, oneside successfully persuades the other people to agree to their

position.

2. Negotiation EffectIf a person does not accept your persuasion totally, you begin tonegotiate. In a typical negotiation, you give a little, and get alittle from them. Skilled persuaders manage to negotiate from a

position of strength, or advantageously.

3. Fixation Effect

Fixation takes place when both sides take up fixed positionsand refuse to move, regardless of what the other side says.

4. Polarization effectPolarization occurs when the gap increases the more you talk.This usually occurs when both sides unfairly attack the others

position.


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THOUGHTFUL PERSUASION

Foxes, Bloodhounds, and DonkeysThe Three Types of Influencers

FOXESFoxes are cunning, ruthless and competitive. They do not lose any

opportunity to manipulate others. For them, life is a competition, they winand you lose.

BLOODHOUNDSBloodhounds are of the detective breed. They can turn any situation to

their advantage. For them the opportunity is not good or bad, but just formutual gain. They are very cautious and think in long term relationships.

DONKEYSDonkeys lack in self confidence. They have the ability to turn a win-

win situation into a lose-lose situation. They spoil everything and lack skilland techniques to manage a situation properly.

TURNING DONKEYS INTO BLOODHOUNDS

Yes, you can turn donkeys into bloodhounds through education,persuasion, knowledge and training. But those donkeys who are rigid anddont want to see through the worlds eye, then they will remain donkeysforever.

TURNING FOXES INTO BLOODHOUNDSFoxes fall into two groups. One are those who are over-ambitious but

do not have the ability to turn a win-lose haggle into a win-win agreement.This group can be converted but with intensive training. The second groupof foxes may be irredeemable. These foxes lack trust, are selfish and theydelight when they win and you lose. The only solution to convert them is acharacter transplant.


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How to build trust and sell expertise

"To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be

credible. To be credible, we must be truthful." Edward R. Murrow

Increasing Trust While Decreasing Bias

Researchers into persuasion have also discovered ways you canincrease a person's apparent trust worthiness while decreasing the apparent

bias of a message. One technique is to make sure the target person oraudience is absolutely convinced that the person doing the speaking is nottrying to persuade them.

Suppose a property investment broker calls you with a hot tip on a

newly listed property. Will you purchase the property? It depends. Youmight see the broker as an expert and this might induce you to buy, or youcould see the broker as biased, given that he or she stands to make a sizeablecommission .But suppose you accidentally overhear your broker telling acolleague about a property just listed. Because the broker was not trying toinfluence you, you are very likely to be convinced.

Selling Expertise

Once trust has been established, it is much easier to build the second

pillar of credibility expertise. This is best appreciated by McKinsey's, theworld's most profitable management consultancy group. In 1995,McKinsey's earned $1.5 billion in fees. Since1980, the McKinsey staff haschurned out over fifty books. In 1981, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman,McKinsey consultants, produced a book from a McKinsey internal research

project describing the practices of America's best companies. The book InSearch of Excellence leaped onto the best-seller list.

The Three Levels of Credibility

1) At the first level, you have to build your personal credibility.2) At the second level, you have to sell the credibility of your ideas.3) At the third level, you have to sell the credibility of the organization

you represent. To be successful in persuasion, you normally have tobe effective on all three levels.


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PERSUASION BY PERSONALITY TYPES

Reading the other person and using personality types to persuade isan art that borders on the science! Scholars of Personality Type have

found that our behaviour is surprisingly predictable and haveidentified a number of personality types into which we all fit. The ideaof personality type goes back over seventy years to the work of Swisspsychologist Carl.

A knowledge of Personality Type helps you:

Identify how the people you want to persuade like to be persuaded

Identify what kind of information the people you want to convincetake notice of and remember

Identify how the people you want to influence make decisions

Talk your clients' or audience's language

Quickly build the rapport required for successful persuasion.

With this information, it's so much easier for a professional persuader

to tailor his or her presentation to meet the other person's preciseneeds.

Decision making or reaching conclusions.

When it comes to making a decision, 'thinkers' are driven by facts,logic, and reason. They like to weigh the pros and cons of an issue. Ifthe facts point to the need for a tough decision, so be it even if itmeans upsetting or hurting the feelings of others. On the other hand,

'feelers' make decisions keeping in mind the emotions or feelings ofothers who will be affected. For feelers, all feelings are important,and decisions should be made based on both facts and sympathy.Feelers are persuaded more by a strong emotional call than cold,hard logic. If the thinker can be described as head over heart, thefeeler can be described as heart over head.


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Power Talk! How to give wordsadded impact

The most powerful persuaders are the ones who can control andmanipulate words. The power talkers have many characteristics, such asaffirmative language, assertiveness etc.

When talking, they speak with confidence and skill. They talk withwin-win based phrases.

Another quality is that they speak decisively, hereby convincing bytheir straightforward and to the point manner.

To be a good speaker one must also avoid fillers, hesitations andvagueness. They also avoid disclaimers, hedges and qualifiers.

But a fact is that whatever you do, the person you are trying toconvince wants to know what is the advantage for him in it all. So we musttarget the peoples wants and not just their needs. The attractive features ofthe product have to be utilized to the extreme. We also use the USP (uniqueselling proposition). That is, a feature of the product must seem as uniqueand is the target of the advertising.

And most importantly, use attention grabbing words such as free,discount, new etc.


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Winning Peoples Minds How to structure and Package your message

The concept is simple K.I.S.S. Keep it short and simple. Most

presenters overwhelm the audience with massive information, which they donot even manage to absorb, let alone remember. This is also the secret

behind advertisers who focus not on massive data, but a simple, direct,catchy punch line and focus on it for advertising. At the most, three to five

points are enough.

The most brilliant speeches in history have been short, to the pointand presented with control and dexterity. The slogan of Do or Die by

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was simple, coherent, and appealed to the

masses.

Another trick is the two-part contrast such as old/new etc. Suchcontrasts have been very successful, such as to be or not to be, that is thequestion in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare. It has also been observed thatinformation is extraordinary compelling in groups of three. A large numberof slogans have gone down in historys pages, like of the people, for the

people, by the people by Abraham Lincoln.

The best method to structure your argument is to revolve it around a

single theme. The theme will be the body for crux of the argument. A deeprooted secret is to keep your main message at the beginning or end of the

presentation. Information around the middle is quickly forgotten.

We should speak first if the audience is to consider our message at alater date. But if the decision has to be immediate speak last. Another trick isto grab the audiences attention with a dynamic beginning. And the end hasto be strong. The evidence has to be carefully chosen, from credible sources,individual case study, specific facts, fresh information etc.

Dont expect to persuade the audience immediately. Keep repeatingexposures, but always stress on the central point. And to conclude, dontignore attacks from rivals. A defensive argument and an efficient rebukeshould come immediately. This should be done by expressing respect foryour rivals then persuading with the rebuttal.


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How to Target and Influence DifferentGroups

1. Identify who in the audience you really have to win over. Identifywhich subgroup has the most power; identify which subgroup has thenumbers. Then concentrate your efforts on the groups that count.

2. Where possible, appeal to the different groups in your audience withdifferent parts of your message. Look for creative ways to influenceeach subgroup by offering each of them a different reward. Look at atypical snack food commercial: It promises kids a great taste whilereassuring parents that the snack is healthy and nutritious.

3. Don't promise "everything to everyone.'' If there are groups in youraudience with competing sub agendas, you may end up alienatingeveryone. One of the easiest ways to discredit a politician is to showthat he or she is making conflicting promises to different groups.

The politician who one day tells farmers she supports farmsubsidies and the next day tells factory workers she supports lowerfood prices can easily lose the trust of both groups. Setting Realisticand Achievable Goals many persuaders make the mistake of trying to

achieve too much.


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Strategy Pure and Simple How to Outthink and Outwit your opponents

The Intensify/Downplay Strategy

The persuaders have following ways of achieving their aims. They can

Intensify their strong points. Such as highlighting the features of thatwhich they want to promote.

And they intensify their opponents weakness.

They also downplay their own weakness

And lastly they downplay their opponents strengths

Tactics of Intensification

RepetitionThe best way to intensify good or bad features about a product or

person is to repeat the same idea over and over again

AssociationAssociating a person with a certain idea is a powerful tactic. Sayanimal experimenters are associated with cruelty and inhumanity.

Composition

One of the easiest ways to intensify a message is to change thephysical makeup of the message.

Tactics of Downplaying

OmissionOmission is simply leaving out damaging information. The result isthat we have half truths or biased evidence.

Diversion

It is just shifting the focus of attention from your weakness or youropponents strengths.

ConfusionThe final way to downplay your weakness or your opponents strengthis to create confusion. This is done using jargon, complicating simpleissues etc.


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Reciprocation - The Law of Give-and-Take

The reciprocation rule states that we should repay in kind what someone hasgiven us: If a friend does us a favor, we feel obligated to pay him or her

back.Hare Krishna temples and communes set up in 1960 was able to spreadglobally within a decade because, they discovered one of society's most

powerful persuasion techniques a weapon that was able to overcome theKrishnas appalling negative image and induce the public to make generousdonations. The persuasion weapon was the reciprocation rule.

Power of reciprocation

Reciprocation rule is very powerful, it can make us accept request from thepeople we dislike .Politicians are very much aware of this fact and they usethis techniques to hold or to gain their voter bank. Salesmens are one of theexperts in implementing these techniques, a door-knocking Fuller Brushsalesmen gave householders a small, cheap brush as a gift before beginningtheir sales pitch.

Reciprocation and Negotiation

You don't get what you deserve in life, you get what you negotiate.

Anonymous

The reciprocation rule controls the compromise process that is central tomost negotiations. The great majority of books on negotiation urge theirreaders to start with a small concession and then wait for the other side toreciprocate. The implicit request is, "I've made a concession; now it's yourturn.''


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Commitment and Consistency

A remarkable nature of people is that once they make a commitment,they experience a powerful urge to be consistent in their commitment. For

example, if a student or group of students have committed themselves tocleaning whatever garbage they see in their college campus, they wouldcontinue the act consistently for all the years of their college life. Thisexample also leads to an observation, that greater our effort, more committedwe become.

Amongst other things, one may also observe that public commitmentsare usually stronger than private commitment. One tends to hold fast to thecommitments made in front of other people.

Another secret of powerful persuasion is to get a commitment inwriting. Apart from being legal proof, it has a deep-seated psychologicalimpact, and people almost subconsciously tend to waver less from theircommitments they make in writing.

But the largest danger people face is that once they committhemselves, they get entrapped by it. The psychological force in theircommitment is almost super-egoistic, and they find it hard to wriggle out ofany wrong commitment.

Finally, it can be considered that Commitment is an art of persuasiontoo, and has to be used wisely and positively.


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Authority - The influence of Position

The Milgram Studies

These were experiments conducted by Professor Stanley Milgram atYale university. The purpose of the experiment was to see how far peopleare influenced by their sense of duty to authority. It was discovered that alarge part of the adults would go extraordinary lengths to obey commandfrom a legitimate authority.

From the experiment we draw the conclusion that we should challengeauthority when its used arbitrarily or dangerously.

And logically, one should reinforce the authority that comes fromones position based on expertise and competence. For example, a police

person should use his rank within the society to make sure that at leastaround him no one breaks the law or does anything damaging to the society.

Lastly, an appropriate dress is required to support ones profession.For example, we would look more professional, authoritative and hence

persuasive if we come in a business suit than if we come in casuals.

To conclude, authority is like a glowing beacon of power. Used properly, itcan lighten up our future by helping us in the present.


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Scarcity - The Rule of the Rare

The Scarcity Principle

In essence, the scarcity principle says we value what is scarce. When wediscover that something is scarce or may be unavailable, one of our firstthoughts is that it must also be valuable.

Potatoes haven't always been a popular food staple: In the late 1700s, theFrench associated potatoes with leprosy; the Germans considered potatoeswere only good as cattle fodder.It took the guile of Catherine the Great, theEmpress of Russia, to turn this negative perception around. She ordered hermen to enclose the potato fields with high fences. Her soldiers then posted

large notices throughout the countryside warning the populace not to stealpotatoes.It were a brilliant psychological ploy. As soon as the potatoesbecame unavailable, the scarcity principle took hold and the popularity ofpotatoes suddenly soared.

The scarcity principle works best when things we have and value suddenlybecome scarce. Moreover, we want things most when we have to competefor them. Competing for Resources .Anyone who has stood in line whendepartment stores hold a sale should understand how these retailers create acompetitive frenzy. Usually they offer some phenomenal deals on a few

prominently advertised loss leaders. Caught up by the promotion, shoppersrush to buy items they would usually ignore.


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LIKING

We always do something or the other just to please our friends evenwhen we dont want to do it. For example, when you attend a party and your

host tries to sell you something you buy it not only because you might likethe product but also because you want to please your friend and host.Controlled research has identified amongst several factors that increaseliking are similarity and praise. When you find something similar withothers you like them more as you bond better with them.

In business and politics, the best referrals are usually friends of theperson you want to influence. This helps you to get your influence quietlypenetrate from them as well. For example, if someone tells you of a new

housing policy, you are less likely to trust him than the word of your friend,who says that the policy is actually good.

Another approach is to emphasize the similarities you share with theperson you want to influence. This helps by giving a personal side to thepersuasion.

It is wise to look for areas where you can work and socialize together.But be cautious of taking a strong stand on a controversial topic. The peoplewhom we like usually share our ideals and morals.

Discover, identify the areas wherever praise is possible, and focus onthe areas where it is legitimate. For example, if a person is very good atmanaging the commercial aspect of any business, compliment him, and

praise him in different ways yet focusing on the same topic.


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Icons Of Influence - The most influential persuaders of twentiethcentury

The twentieth century saw seven great political persuaders Lenin, Stalin,Mao, Roosevelt, Churchill, Gandhi and Hitler.

All these leaders have been remarkable in their respective fields,especially the incredible way in which they convinced the masses to followthem loyally, and unwaveringly. The great democratic leaders have to begreat persuaders, especially because they have to get approval of the public

before taking any decisions.

The presence of Hitler, Stalin and Lenin amongst the great leaderssuch as Mahatma Gandhi might seem stunning, but even Hitler performedthe incredible by getting the entire Germany unified. He of course played onthe racial pride of the Germans and their dislike of Jews, but his persuasionhas left the world shaken even till today.

Again, Bapu (i.e. Mahatma Gandhi) did the unbelievable by using nonviolence as his ideology in a country simmering with violent fury against theBritish. But if we consider the finer aspects, what he did was not magic

either. He used all the basic needs in his ideas, the clothes, the salt, love fortruth and loyalty to nation. His appearance was also aimed at a certaincrowd, the poor masses of India, largely suffering due to poverty. Gandhijihad all the features that a persuader requires language, liking, conformity,commitment, reciprocation and contrast (due to his totally new concept ofusing truth and peace as weapons).

Moving to Roosevelt and Churchill, they too were awesome persuaders. And yet Roosevelt was a better persuader because he wasconsistent, efficient, and managed to survive throughout, winning four

elections. But here we cannot ignore the other side, because even thoughChurchill lost maximum elections, yet he was the beacon of hope for Britainwhen they needed him, and he proved his skills as persuader by managing togain help from America during the second world war.

To conclude, all we can do is to emulate the great leaders whilesustaining our ethics.


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Bibliography

1. Harry Mills - Artful Persuasion

2. Robert Cialdini - Influence Science and Practice

3. Joseph R. Plazo - Mastering the art of persuasion iinfluence

and Seduction

4. Morgan n king - Introduction to Psychology

5. www.persuasiontoday.com

6. Harvard book review Robert Cialdini
http://www.persuasiontoday.com/http://www.persuasiontoday.com/


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Thank You

PROJECT

CONCLUDEDBy

The Hypnotechs

Group no. 3

BMM Bhavans College

Documents

Psychology Project on Persuasion