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By Simran Sodha
“Make your vote count.”
“This is the time to act if you want to protect your rights and freedoms.”
“This election is about securing a better future for our children.”
As the 2024 United States Presidential Election quickly approaches, candidates are doing everything they can to ensure they convince voters that they are deserving of their votes. It is likely you have recently heard these statements; however, what ties these statements together is their call to action and intentional use of persuasion to advertently sway a voter’s decision. The key to a successful campaign is political persuasion, being able to convince unlikely voters to support the campaign.
Persuasion is a process by which a person's attitudes or behaviour are influenced by communications from other people or factors. Some view persuasion as a manipulative tactic contrasting those who argue it acquires social control, keeps the human community in order, and is morally acceptable in comparison to other alternatives. For over 60 years, researchers have studied the science of how people are persuaded and the factors that influence people to say ‘yes’ to others’ requests.
In 1984, Dr. Robert Cialdini, renowned psychologist and author wrote the book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, and identified the 6 principles of persuasion. In 2016, he published another acclaimed novel titled Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. This added the seventh principle, unity, to the list. Although it has been decades since Dr. Cialdini initially introduced these principles; they are still relevant and useful in everyday life.
Cialdini’s 7 Principles of Influence:
Reciprocity: Humans value balance and equality, meaning we do not like feeling indebted to others. When we do have these social obligations, we try to resolve them. For example, if someone gives you a birthday present, you will likely want to send them one back, settling the sense of social obligation. This is also seen when waiters provide mints with the bill and a boss provides cookies when asking for feedback. The desire for reciprocity can easily be used to influence others’ behaviours. It is convenient to use the principle of reciprocity whether it is through helping others or publicly praising them in order to ensure social obligations are also owed to you. In elections, candidates attempt to convince voters by committing good deeds and encouraging the voters to repay them through their vote. This principle is especially effective when the recipients receive something of value to them and works well on bold, humanistic, and proactive individuals.
Scarcity: This is used to prevent procrastination and give motivation. The less of something there is, the more people want it. When shopping at a store, you have likely seen the words, “Limited Time Offer” in big letters. The company is increasing scarcity by reducing the availability of their product or service. In terms of persuasion and influence, people in power create a sense of scarcity in order to increase people’s interest in what they have to offer. This principle works best on people who are spontaneous and results-oriented rather than slow and conscientious individuals.
Authority: Trust is built through credibility and authority, therefore those who possess these traits are more persuasive. We are more likely to agree with and follow people we trust. We constantly see people increasing their authority and promoting themselves. However, authority is most effective when other people are promoting a person, rather than them promoting themselves. This is often why candidates have different political figures endorse them and their campaigns.
Consistency: People like to stay consistent with their behaviour so when someone is trying to persuade you, they often get you to do something small related to a certain behaviour. This will cause you to see yourself as someone who partakes in or supports that type of behaviour. This is seen through marketers who embrace consistency through micro-conversions which eventually lead to larger conversions.
Liking: Although it may seem obvious, people are more likely to be influenced by people they like over those they do not. People tend to support and agree with those who compliment, cooperate, and are similar to them. This is often demonstrated through advertisements that appeal to the target consumers. It has been proven that physical attractiveness, similarity, compliments, contact, and cooperation are factors that can cause liking.
Social Proof: This principle is also known as consensus and refers to humans' natural tendency to see what others are doing, before making a choice. Studies show 14% of people trust an advertisement while 70% trust someone else’s opinion. This is why companies try to persuade potential buyers through customer reviews, media rewards, and paid influence endorsements.
Unity: In this principle, Cialdini refers to the influencer and influence both being a part of a shared identity. People are more likely to be influenced by people they see as part of a bond formed by a shared identity. This is similar to the principle of liking. It differs because liking is based on a shared attribute rather than identity. The more an influencer makes you feel part of their group, the greater the chance of you being persuaded by them.
By understanding how persuasion truly works, you will be able to make decisions without getting swayed by other influences. Keep these principles and instances in mind so you can recognize when someone is trying to persuade you and maybe even use them to your advantage.
Works Cited
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“Ai Is Becoming More Persuasive than Humans.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/emotional-behavior-behavioral-emotions/202403/ai-is-becoming-more-persuasive-than-humans.
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Gust de Backer. “Cialdini Principles: 7 Principles of Influence (+ Examples).” Gust de Backer, 29 June 2024, gustdebacker.com/cialdini-principles/.
Twowp. “Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Persuasion: A Simple Summary.” The World of Work Project, 1 Aug. 2024, worldofwork.io/2019/07/cialdinis-6-principles-of-persuasion/#:~:text=Cialdini’s%206%20Principles%20of%20Persuasion%20are%20reciprocity%2C%20scarcity%2C%20authority%2C,an%20ethical%20thing%20to%20do.
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“Social Control.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/social-control.