What Is Involved In Persuading?

There is continuous effort from all directions to change our minds. Change our minds about what? It could be anything. That this fruit juice is better than the one you are currently drinking. Or that you even need to drink fruit juice in the first place. That buying this particular phone will make your life better. That applying this deodorant will make all the chicks dig you. Whatever. From the smallest thing that we think does not matter, to bigger deals, we have to admit that persuasion plays a huge role in our lives. We persuade and are persuaded in turn.

Persuasion is basically any effort undertaken to change the attitude of another person. This is done through the use of 'messages' like advertisements, newspaper articles, speeches, pop-up ads on the internet, or a friend of yours praising a product they've begun using. But how is it that we get convinced by some messages and ignore other messages? What are the ingredients of persuasion?

There are 3 elements of persuasion—
i) Communicators — the person(s) who are attempting to change your mind
ii) Message — the tool they are using to attract you towards changing your mind
iii) Audience — YOU, the person(s) whose minds are being tried to be changed

From the perspective of the communicators, the audience is out of their control. So I'm going to focus on the kinds of communicators and the kinds of messages that enable successful persuasion.

Communicators

The two important characteristics of a communicator are credibility and attractiveness. They should be credible in the sense that you, the audience, has a reason to believe that they truly know the subject matter. It is easier to believe a doctor than a housewife, even if both give you the same health advice. They should be attractive—this attractiveness need not just be physical, but can also be an intangible charisma they exude. This is why attractive models are used as faces of brands. Such people are not really 'credible', but people do get persuaded simply because they like the model.

People are more likely to get persuaded if they believe they have something in common with the communicator. So, if a news anchor is of the same religion etc., not only one is more likely to get convinced, but one is more likely to EXPECT to be convinced before even hearing the actual message. So, even if the person originally has different views, they would expect to agree with the communicator. This expectation to agree itself boosts the actual agreement that comes later on after hearing the message.

Another factor that makes communicators more trustworthy is that people should believe that they DO NOT have a personal interest in the matter, and in fact are going against their self-interest. For example, a businessman supporting a political party that advocates for tax cuts on the higher-income groups would not be as convincing because it is quite evident that he will be benefitting from this. Rather, a middle-income salaried individual who advocates for this same party would be more convincing because there is no reason he would be benefitting from their tax policy.

Message

The message itself should fulfil certain criteria. The first thing is that it should not be obvious that it is trying to change people's minds. When people realise that someone is trying to change their mind, they become defensive and switch off. They can even end up taking the complete opposite view as a defence mechanism. Hence, messages should be subtle. People should not know that a message is coming their way. This is why television advertisements have lost their appeal because the people are well aware that these are trying to sell them something. They just end up changing the channel or muting it while these ads play.

Another crucial ingredient in a good message is the use of emotions. What many messages use is fear. If you are able to make the person afraid of the consequences of not following the message, you've mastered the art of framing a good message. However, this too should be in limit. Creating too much fear will not necessarily result in the person changing their mind. Often, they will just remain afraid and later switch off. And creating very little fear will lose its impact. Creating moderate fear is the best way.

A research was done where participants were shown messages related to the harmful effects of smoking. In the high-level fear condition, they were shown pictures of diseased lungs and mouths, and were spoken to about dental hygiene. In the moderate-level fear condition, they were shown similar pictures, but much less dramatic. In the low-level fear condition, only diagrams were used and general descriptions. The maximum amount of change happened in the moderate-level group. Even though the first group was more afraid, it led to them feeling disconnected from the subject and treated it more as an 'interesting topic' rather than something that can actually happen to them.

Another feature that makes a message helpful is giving a way for the person to change their behaviour. For example, while advertising for a product, it would be helpful to mention where this product can be found and the different ways of payment being accepted. This holds true for advocating any kind of lifestyle change like exercising daily or eating healthy. People may want to do it, but may not know how to go about doing it. Providing a starting point or even a procedure for changing their behaviour is very helpful.

Lastly, the message should be framed positively rather than negatively. Instead of saying 'Leading a sedentary life leads to obesity and a shorter life', try saying 'Daily exercise leads to a healthier and longer life'. A study was done on lower-income women where they were persuaded to be tested for HIV. The women who were persuaded with positive messages ("Think of the peace of mind you will have when it is confirmed that you do not have the virus") were more likely to get tested than those told "You should not unknowingly spread it to others".

Persuasion is hence a highly complex and nuanced art. Knowing how it works can help us to become better persuaders as well as know our thought processes when we form an opinion about anything.