Robert Cialdini’s Principles of Influence: Basic Concepts

1. Robert Cialdini’s Principles of Influence: Basic Concepts • Overriding Principle • “Click-Whirr” or Automatic Responding • Mother Turkeys • Jewelry at Twice the Price! • Fixed Action Patterns at Copy Machine • Betting the Shortcut Odds (Heuristics) • Capitalizing on Genuine Principles • We “should” listen to authorities • Reciprocation is reasonable • Problems if used inappropriately

2. Principle 1 - Reciprocation • Reciprocation • You scratched my back, I’ll scratch yours • Get your free samples! • Get a free Trip to Reno! • Door-in-the-Face Technique • Ask big, get turned down, make concession, then ask small • That’s Not All Technique • No chance to turn down initial request

3. Principle 2 – Commitment & Consistency • Commitment & Consistency • Cognitive Dissonance – Leon Festinger • We like our attitudes and behavior to be consistent • When they are inconsistent, we feel tension • Tension is uncomfortable, and we wish to reduce it • We can change behavior or attitude to align the two • Foot-in-Door Technique • Ask for a small act of compliance, then build on it • Low-Ball Technique • Make a low offer, then increase it once people are ‘hooked’

4. Principle 3 – Social Proof

5. Principle 3 – Social Proof • Social Proof • Conformity to Norms – Asch and Sherif • Laugh Tracks • Best Seller Lists • Descriptive vs. Injunctive Norms • Descriptive Norms: What the majority of others is doing • Injunctive Norms: What people “should” do • Descriptive Norms and the Environment • Littering, Petrified Wood, and Towel Reuse in Hotels Asch Experiment

6. Sherif’s Autokinetic Study DAY 1 - Alone High Variability 7.5 Inches 1/2 Inch 2Inches

7. Autokinetic Phenomenon 1.7 Inches 4 Inches 3 Inches DAY 2 - Group Medium Variability

8. Autokinetic Phenomenon 3.5 Inches DAY 3 - Group Lower Variability 2 Inches 2.2 Inches

9. Autokinetic Phenomenon 2.3 Inches DAY 4 - Group Norm Formed 2 Inches 2.1 Inches

10. Sherif’s Classic Study: Results InformationalInfluence

11. Sherif vs. Asch: Two Types of Influence • Informational Influence • Situation is ambiguous • Information dependence • We conform to “gain information” • Sherif Autokinetic Study • Normative Influence • Situation is clear • Outcome dependence • We conform to receive rewards or avoid punishment • Asch’s Conformity Studies

12. Environmental Theft:The (Negative) Power of Descriptive Norms • Message at Petrified Forest National Park(Arizona) • Your heritage is being vandalized every day by theft losses of petrified wood of 14 tons a year, mostly a small piece at a time. • Conveys the message that “everyone is taking it” • Experiment (Cialdini and colleagues; 2003) • Marked pieces of petrified wood in park • Injunctive Norm Condition (Sign Read): • Please don’t remove petrified wood from the Park, in order to preserve the natural state of the Petrified Forest. • Descriptive Norm Condition (Sign Read): • Many past visitors have removed petrified wood from the Park, changing the natural state of the Petrified Forest. • Theft Rates: • Injunctive Norm (1.67%) vs. Descriptive Norm (7.92%) • Conclusion? • When the socially undesirable action is prevalent (lots of theft), PSAs should focus on injunctive (not descriptive) norm

13. Littering:More Evidence for the Power of Descriptive Norms • Cialdini, Reno and Kallgren (1990) • Subjects find a handbill on their windshield which they can litter • Environment is either clean or littered • Clean environment conveys descriptive norm that people don’t litter • Littered environment conveys descriptive norm that people do litter • Subject sees another person (confederate) litter or not • Observe whether people litter – Results 

15. Recycling Towels in Hotels:Even More Evidence for the Power of Descriptive Norms Below “Help Save Environment” Control: HELP SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT. You can show your respect for nature and help save the environment by reusing your towels during your stay Social Norm: JOIN YOUR FELLOW GUESTS IN HELPING TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT. Almost 75% of guests who are asked to participate in our new resource savings program do help by using their towels more than once. You can join your fellow guests in this program to help save the environment by reusing your towels during your stay. Goldstein, Cialdini, & Griskevicius (2008, J of Consumer Research)

16. Principle 4 – Liking • Liking • We are more likely to comply with requests from those we like • Liking often based on • Attractiveness • Familiarity • Similarity

17. Similarity and ComplianceWhat a Coincidence! • Four Experiments on Impact of “Incidental Similarity” on Compliance with Requests for Help • Experiment 1 • Same Birthday; DV = help with a report • Experiment 2 • Same Name; DV = donation to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Experiment 3: • Same Personality (Either Common or Uncommon); DV = help with a report • Experiment 4: • Same Personality (but here DV = rated attraction to other person) • All studies show similarity (especially uncommon similarity) increases compliance with requests for help Jerry Burger

18. Principle 5 – Authority • Authority • We are more likely to comply with requests from authorities • Milgram’s Classic Studies on Obedience to Authority Stanley Milgram

19. Milgram Studies – Basic Set Up Confederate Shock Generator Real Participant

20. BBC - Recreation

21. Principle 6 – Scarcity • Scarcity • We believe that things that are scare are more valuable • More likely to pay more for scarce resources • Overlapping appointments for selling cars • Excuse me while I take this call • One day only at the Bon Marche

22. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4GZfvXx9Js