Influence

1
Influence

• Theory and Application

2
Different outcomes of persuasion
Reciprocation

• Short-term compliance
• Long-term attitude change

3
Reciprocity in real life
Reciprocation

• Free gifts
• Free samples
• Political donations
• Dating

4
Reciprocity in long-term relationships
Reciprocation

• Reciprocity operates differently in long-term
  relationships (families, long-term friendships)
• Willingness to provide what the other needs, when
  it is needed
• Tit-for-tat reciprocity would be awkward and
  unwanted
• It does appear that we keep some accounting

5
Modern thoughts on reciprocity
Reciprocation

• Inclusive fitness
• Generational reciprocity

6
Benton, Kelley, and Liebling (1972)
Reciprocation

• Participants bargained with a negotiation
  opponent for a pool of money
• Opponent
• Made an extreme demand and stuck with it
• Made a moderate demand and stuck with it
• Made an extreme demand and retreated to a
  moderate demand
• Third condition led to greater agreement, greater
  feelings of responsibility for the outcome, and
  greater satisfaction with the outcome

7
Foot-in-the-Door
Commitment and Consistency

• Start with a small request, then move on to a
  related larger request
• Small commitments manipulate a persons
  self-image
• Once the self-image has been changed, people will
  naturally comply with large requests that are
  consistent with the new self-image

8
Commitments that change the self-image should be
Reciprocation

• Active
• Public
• Effortful
• Freely-chosen

9
Some effects of public commitments
Commitment and Consistency

• Circumventing cooling off laws
• Helping people lose weight and quit smoking
• Increasing the likelihood of hung juries

10
The low-ball
Commitment and Consistency

• Begins with a good deal (often too good)
• Then, just before the sale, the deal changes
• In the meantime, the target has generated
  additional justifications
• When the original reason is removed, the
  additional justifications remain

11
For the following questions, imagine that youre
in a class in which the professor gives essay
tests. On the last test, you felt your essays
were wroth an A, but when the tests were
returned, you received a B. You decide to talk
to the professor about changing your grade.How
could you use reciprocity to help convince the
professor to change your grade?How could you
use commitment/consistency to help convince the
professor?
Commitment and Consistency
12
Social Proof
Social Proof

• We view a behavior as correct in a given
  situation to the degree that we see others
  performing it.

13
Social Proof

• We often use behavior of others as a guide when
  we are unsure of what to do. What are three
  situations in which youve used social proof to
  determine the correct behavior?
• 1)
• 2)
• 3)

14
Trappings of Authority
Authority

• Titles make you taller (Wilson, 1968)
• Titles make your work better (Peters Ceci,
  1982)
• Fancy cars get your deference (Doob Gross, 1968)

15
When were not sheep
Authority

• We are more persuaded by experts that seem to be
  impartial than by experts who appear to have
  something to gain by convincing us (Eagly, Wood,
  Chaiken, 1978)
• This can be circumvented and co-opted by
  marketers by having the expert or ad offer a
  small argument against their best interest.

16
Scarcity
Scarcity

• Opportunities seem more valuable to us when they
  are less available

17
Scarcity

• Name three (or more) examples of valuable items
  that are scarce
• 1)
• 2)
• 3)
• Name at least three examples of items with little
  or no intrinsic value that are valuable simply
  because they are scarce
• 1)
• 2)
• 3)

18
Reactance (Brehm, 1966)
Scarcity

• Whenever free choice is limited or threatened,
  the need to retain our freedoms makes us want
  them (as well as the good sand services
  associated with them) significantly more than
  before.
• Reactance increases the desire and perceived
  worth of banned things (Mazis, 1975)
• When our desire increases, we begin assigning the
  desired object positive qualities.

19
Censorship
Scarcity

• Censored information is not only desired more,
  but also believed more (Ashmore, Ramchandra,
  Jones, 1971)

20
A taxonomy of scarcity
Scarcity

• Scarce items are seen as desirable
• Cookie studies (Worchel, Lee, Adeqole, 1975)
• Jar with 10 cookies vs. jar with 2 cookies
• Recently scarce items are seen as more desirable
• Jar with 2 cookies vs. jar with 10 cookies taken
  away and replaced with a jar with 2 cookies
• Davies (1962) we are most likely to find
  revolutions at a time when a period of improving
  economic and social conditions is followed by a
  short, sharp reversal in those conditions

21
Application problem 1

• You supervise an employee who makes others
  hostile by parking randomly in other peoples
  parking space. This employee in the organization
  is aware of what she does, but does it anyway.

22
Application problem 2

• You work with someone from another department
  who is at your same level within the
  organization. This person constantly goes behind
  your back and complains about you to others.

23
Application problem 3

• Every time you state your position on an issue,
  a colleague appears to disagree or challenge what
  you say. You would like to remain on good terms
  with this person. Youve asked him directly if
  he has a problem with you. The answer is always
  No but the behavior continues.

24
Application problem 4

• You work with a group of younger people whom you
  sense dont like you. They seem to intentionally
  sabotage whatever you do. You find you are
  spending more time aggravated at work than you
  are happy.

25
Application problem 5

• A college grad woman in her 40s cant seem to
  get along with her supervisor who is 40 and
  working on her college degree. They get angry at
  each other once a week. Each is an asset to the
  organization but a nemesis to the other. They
  both have been counseled by the CEO of the
  organization. Their behavior never changes
  permanently.