Robert Cialdini
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Robert B. Cialdini is a well known social psychologist, currently a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina.
He is best known for his popular book on persuasion and marketing, Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion (ISBN 0688128165). His book has also been published as a textbook under the title Influence: Science and Practice (ISBN 0321011473). In writing the book, he spent three years going "undercover" applying for jobs and training at used car dealerships, fund-raising organizations, telemarketing firms and the like, observing real-life situations of persuasion. The book also reviews many of the most important theories and experiments in social psychology.
Cialdini defines six "weapons of influence":
- Reciprocation - People tend to return a favor. Thus, the pervasiveness of free samples in marketing.
- Commitment and Consistency - If people agree to make a commitment toward a goal or idea, they are more likely to honor that commitment. However, if the incentive or motivation is removed after they have already agreed, they will continue to honor the agreement. For example, in car sales, suddenly raising the price at the last moment works because the buyer has already decided to buy. See cognitive dissonance.
- Social Proof - People will do things that they see other people are doing. For example, in one experiment, one or more accomplices would look up into the sky; the more accomplices the more likely people would look up into the sky to see what they were seeing. At one point this experiment aborted, as so many people were looking up, that they stopped traffic. See conformity, and the Asch conformity experiments.
- Authority - People will tend to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to perform objectionable acts. Cialdini cites incidents, such as the Milgram experiments in the 1950s and the My Lai massacre.
- Liking - People are easily persuaded by other people that they like. Cialdini cites the marketing of Tupperware in what might now be called viral marketing. People were more likely to buy if they liked the person selling it to them. Some of the many biases favoring more attractive people are discussed. See physical attractiveness stereotype.
- Scarcity - Perceived scarcity will generate demand. For example, saying offers are available for a "limited time only" encourages sales.
External links
- Cialdini's official web site (http://www.influenceatwork.com/)
- Official site @ ASU (http://psych.la.asu.edu/people/faculty/rcialdini.html)
- 1999 Interview (http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~schwartb/booknotes/Cialdini_interview.html)
- Summary of Cialdini's weapons of influence (http://www.fripp.com/art.of_influence.html)