Colloquium, 9/5

The Power and Ethics of Persuasion

Dr. Robert B. Cialdini

After years of researching the psychology of persuasion in his laboratory, Dr. Robert Cialdini decided to expand what he had learned by doing something that no one else had done, before or since. He became a spy of sorts. With disguised identity and intent, he enrolled in the training programs of sales, marketing, advertising, and fund-raising organizations that try to spur us to say “Yes” to their requests. There, he learned which tactics these organizations teach their people to be successful persuaders. In the process, he identified the seven psychological principles of influence that account for the tactics’ effectiveness.

In his program, Dr. Cialdini will describe those seven principles—Reciprocation, Liking, Authority, Social Proof, Consistency, Scarcity and Unity—and how we can recognize and resist them when they are used on us in unwelcome or deceptive ways. He will also describe how, if we choose, we can employ the principles, ethically, to become more persuasive in our own lives. Finally, he will give special consideration to the principle of Unity and how certain political, governmental, and nationalistic groups are using the power of tribalism (“We-ness”) to move us toward their aims.