Cognitive Dissonance Theory

1. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Cognitive dissonance is an aversive drive that causes people to; When someone is forced to do (publicly) something they (privately) really don't want to do, dissonance is created between their cognition (I didn't want to do this) and their behavior (I did it). That behavior can be influenced through the systematic use of reinforcements in an instrumental conditional paradigm. • Seek reassurance when making a tough decision • Change private beliefs to match public behavior “It’s good that you are already looking into college” “This is an appropriate time to be doing that”

2. Theory of Reasoned Action This theory proposes that human behavior is influenced by two factors: This intention is determined by three things: • attitudes towards the behavior • the influence of social environment and general subjective norms on the behavior. • For a person to perform a particular behavior s/he needs to know what the behavior is and know that he/she has the skills to do the behavior. • Individuals act in their self interest to get likely outcomes they value. Intention is the cognitive representation of a person's readiness to perform a given behavior, and it is considered to be the immediate antecedent of behavior. “They’ll talk to you a little more about your interest in ___” “to get you that information you had requested”

3. Reciprocity Theory Ask for something in return, rather than having to wait for a voluntary reciprocal act. -“Do you have a pen & paper handy?” - “Sure, take your time…” This is a very common social norm which says that if I give something to you or help you in any way, then you are obliged to return the favor.

4. Scarcity Theory Influencers of Perception of Behavioral Control • “…before they leave/while they are still in the office…” • Appointment Setting • “Morning or Afternoon?” In our need to control our world, being able to choose is an important freedom. If something becomes scarce, we anticipate possible regret that we did not acquire it, and so we desire it more. This desire is increased further if we think that someone else might get it and hence gain social position that we might have had.

5. Other Tips • 1. Be a mimic • When you're aware of it, it's one of the most infuriating behaviours imaginable. Yet mimic someone's mannerisms subtly - and it can be one of the most powerful forms of persuasion. • “Sir/Ma’am” / “cool” • 2. Look at it this way... • If you want to bring people round to your point of view, try "framing", a favourite tactic of spin doctors. "Framing is about leading people to think about an issue or opinion in a way that is advantageous to you," • 3. Less is more • The more reasons people are asked to come up with in support of an idea, the less value they ascribe to each. The result: asking people to "think of all the reasons why this is a good idea" is likely to backfire, and may serve to harden their views. • 4. Grind them down • Don’t give up, keep them talking. If you're trying to be persuasive, strike when your target is running low on mental energy. • 5. Style over substance • The researchers found that in both versions style was important. When hesitant language was used, people were less easily convinced that this was a scanner worth buying Spanish Speaking Households Ultimate Terms