Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion (2015) - Plot & Excerpts
Summary: This book can’t be summarized. It can only be very, very strongly recommended.Recommended? YES. Buy it now if you haven’t read it.Table of contents:1 Weapons of Influence2 Reciprocation: The Old Give and Take…and Take3 Commitment and Consistency: Hobgoblins of the Mind4 Social Proof: Truths Are Us5 Liking: The Friendly Thief6 Authority: Directed Deference7 Scarcity: The Rule of the FewNotes:Below are my key takeaways and some interesting points, but I’m telling you. Buy it. Read it. Trust me. * Expensive implies quality. Example: gems in a jewel case that weren’t selling were marked up and then sold at a “discount” to the markup (a price higher than the original price), and they sold like hotcakes. * Power of contrast. Example: If you go into a men’s store they’ll try and sell you an expensive suit before the sell you the expensive sweater, because the contrast makes the sweater appear more affordable. * Reciprocity. Example: If someone buys you something (say, a Coke), you’re more likely to by something from them (say, raffle tickets). * Concession. Example: If someone tries to sell you something and you pass (say $5 of $1 raffle tickets), they’ll try and sell you something less that you’ll end up buying because you feel bad (1 $1 raffle ticket). Another term used here is “reject then retreat.” * Commitment leads to consistency leads to collaboration. Example: During the Korean war, the Chinese got American soldiers to make public commitments of various things. Then they made those commitments even more public, which the American soldiers had to stand by to be consistent. That consistency then led them down a path of minor forms of collaboration – without them really thinking about it as such. * Writing something down, even privately, strengthens your commitment to something. * People like and believe in commitment because their image and reputation is on the line (ie the Chinese concentration camp example above). * People like more what they struggle to get, even if it’s not that good. Example: frats (hey, it’s in the book, don’t hate the messenger). * People like to feel they have control over a decision – even if they really don’t. * The power of social proof, or the idea that if others do it it’s good. Example: introverted pre-schoolers who saw introverted kids become social in a movie were more inclined to go play. Another example: cults. People follow the crowd because they believe in the “wisdom” of the crowd. * Convince and you shall be convinced. Example: cults, where people who convince or convert others become more convinced (that’s why so many are evangelical). * Assign responsibility if you want things done. Example: a stabbing that took place over many minutes had 38 witnesses…it happened cause everyone figured someone else would call the police. * The power of copycats that’ll play on social proof. Example: if you find a wallet of someone like you and you’re more likely to return it (it’s true). Another (scary) example: more suicides when the press publicizes a suicide…more fatal “accidents” too. * Liking is an important part of influence. Attractiveness, similarity (identity and context), compliments, contact & cooperation all can make someone more influential. * The reason good cop/bad cop works is because the subject feels someone is on their side. * Associations are powerful. Bearers of good news get treated well, and bad news get treated poorly. Examples: weathermen (or Roman messengers reporting lost battles!) * People tend to defer to authority/experts. Examples: experiments involving shock therapy where people listened to a guy in a lab coat to inflict pain on another human being (incredible how strong this is). * The power of connotations and context over content, and how it can imply authority. Titles and clothing do this. * Gaining trust. Example: a waiter who advises against a more expensive item early in the meal will gain the trust of everyone at the table, and then he can suggest more expensive items and more items through the course of the meal. * Scarcity is powerful. There’s a psychological reaction…people don’t want to lose their freedom, and don’t want to lose. This plays to a second point: competition. Invite 3 used car buyers at the same time and you’ll sell the car faster. A cookie is more attractive if there are two of them than if there are 10 of them. (Always as yourself when something is scarce: will the cookie taste as good if there are 10 of them?). Plus, if you saw that the number went from 10 to 2, you want it even more. It can even lead to revolt…when something is given and then taken away, people get mad; if something is never given at all, they don’t know what they’re missing. * “It appears that commitments are most effective in changing a person’s self-image and future behavior when they are active, public, and effortful.” * “The most influential leaders are those who know how to arrange group conditions to allow the principle of social proof to work maximally in their favor.” * “Social proof is most powerful for those who feel unfamiliar or unsure in a specific situation and who, consequently, must look outside of themselves for evidence of how to best behave there.”
An intriguing exploration of the psychology of persuasion. Cialdini explains six “weapons of influence,” showing how they’re used, why they work, and how to resist them. There’s plenty of research and anecdotes. The lessons are applied to everyday life, and frequently to marketing and sales.The main point is that when we focus on a single influencing future rather than the entire situation, we often respond automatically, leading to a poor decision. Although influencing features can provide shortcuts that save us time in analyzing a situation, we must be wary of those people who misrepresent evidence and use their influence to exploit.The six principles of influence are reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity.Several of the anecdotes are long-winded.I’ve seen this book on many lists of business books, and finally decided to read it because Daniel Pink recommended it in To Sell is Human.NotesReciprocationPresent the customer the more expensive item first, so subsequent items seem relatively inexpensive.People tend to reciprocate concessions. To apply this, offer an expensive option; when they decline, offer a less expensive option. As another example, ask for a big favor; when they decline, ask for a small favor.Commitment and ConsistencyThe foot-in-the-door technique: ask a person to make a small commitment, which manipulates their self-image. Later, they’ll be more likely to comply with more and larger requests that are consistent with this image. Written commitments are especially effective.To get a child to behave long-term, it’s more effective to provide a reason they can internalize and take personal responsibility for than to make external threats.To test a decision you’ve made (or are about to make), ask yourself, "Knowing what I know now, would I make the same choice?"Social ProofIf you need medical help in a crowd, the most effective option is to be precise about your need for aid. Pick one person, point to them and say, "You, sir, in the blue jacket, I need help. Call an ambulance." "We will use the actions of others to decide on proper behavior for ourselves, especially when we view those others as similar to ourselves.”LikingPeople tend to like those who are similar in interests, background, interest, age, religion, and politics."Continued exposure to a person or object under unpleasant conditions such as frustration, conflict, or competition leads to less liking."Cooperation towards common goals is one of the best ways to overcome hostility between different groups.People become fonder of people and things the experience while eating. That’s why food is often served when people are trying to influence.AuthorityPeople tend not to question the orders of those they perceive to be legitimate authorities.A person's title, clothes, and trappings (status symbols) affect their perceived authority.ScarcityParental interference make some couples feel greater love and desire for marriage.
What do You think about Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion (2015)?
This book is definitely worth reading, especially for people who are interested in psychology, marketing and politics. The book is organized in a very scientific way. For each principle, Robert mentions the ways we are exploited first, then the psychology under it and finally how can we "say no" or deal with such exploitation. Many vivid examples are used, even though the example are from 20 - 30 years ago. Still many of them exist nowadays. I read this book while studying the course general psychology, and it is really interesting that many concepts that I learn such as conditioning are presented in the explanation of 6 principles in the book. More interestingly, I can find myself in such situations that the book mentions and I think most of the readers also have the same feelings. I think back on my life and see how others' favors influence my behaviors (reciprocation), how I direct my ideas towards the majority and towards the ones I like (social proof and liking), how I foolishly not change my initial thought even though I know it's wrong (commitment and consistency) and how I rarely challenge and doubt what my professors say (authority). In addition, this book provides an important lesson for me: recognize the signals of my body when I tend to react and behave before I can think carefully about making a decision. Upon recognizing such signals, now I know I shouldn't let my body reacts right away but should calm down and let my rational thinking work.
—Tung Nguyen
So, I've read a fair amount of the literature about group dynamics and social influence, and taught classes that discussed and used it. So I thought I'd know much of what was in this book already. While I was familiar with some of it, there were a number of tricks I hadn't noticed, and excellent descriptions of the ones I had, complete with explanations. Definitely worth reading!Influence describes the six categories of techniques that have the potential to influence us without our conscious awareness. One, for example, is the mark of authority -- people are more likely to follow directions and suggestions given by someone with a title (Dr., Judge) than otherwise. The same applies to suggestions given by people who dress as if they are in the successful upper-class, or who are acknowledged authorities in some field (it doesn't have to be the one under discussion). What makes the book interesting (besides the highly useful listing of techniques and defenses) is the additional research -- including the surveys showing that people *are* in fact completely unaware that they're doing it. When asked about an experiment, they will insist that the given technique won't work, but when actually involved in the experiment, will fall for it almost every time. Really interesting stuff.I read recently that if you trace the locations (by location-aware cell phones) of a small population in an American city over a 6-month period, on average, the movement collapses into standard predator patterns. ( http://www.citeulike.org/user/sjc/art... ). This says something profound about the reasons we give for our behavior vs. the underlying causes. Cialdini sheds some light on these differences by pointing out some other areas where our thoughts don't match our actions, and explaining the unconscious shortcuts we use to help us function in our daily lives.Plus, it's got some great tricks to get out of being pressured into buying stuff or contributing to charities you don't like. :D
—Rachel
This book was assigned in my Social Influence class and I loved it! Cialdini has done tons of interesting research and is clearly very accomplished in the Psych field, yet he can write a book that everyone (non-Psych majors included) can understand. Each social tactic is explained thoroughly and he uses a lot of stories as well as his own experiments to back it up. I love how he peppers his anecdotes with his sense of humor ("Looking somewhat embarrassed because his father seemed to be raving while inexplicably soaking his socks in a small puddle and waving his shoes around...")You'll kick yourself every time he points out how you've fallen for an influence tactic and didn't even know it.
—Liz
