Marsha E. Nickerson, EDLT Student, Pepperdine University
759 - Law & Dispute Resolution
Professor Gregory McNair
Reciprocation
Social Proof
Commitment and Consistency
When making a decision or taking a stand, personal and interpersonal pressures force us to behave consistently with our choice. American culture values good personal consistency. Stubborn consistency also allows us to avoid thinking. Once we have made up our mind, we don’t have to think about it again, (Cialdini, 2009).
We should try to repay in kind, what another person has provided us. There is a general distaste for those who make no effort to reciprocate. We will often go to great lengths to avoid being seen as a taker. This rule is so overpowering that even if we don’t like someone, we can end up complying with their request. Thus, we end up reciprocating their earlier favor, solicited or otherwise, (Cialdini, 2009).
We view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it. More the number of people doing it, more this principle works into making us believe that the behavior is correct. We use behavior of people (like us), to determine the proper action for ourselves. This weapon amplifies in power, as the number of people who are acting a particular way increase and the more like us those individuals are, as we are more assured that our current actions are correct. (Cialdini, 2009).
Scarcity
Authority
Liking
The components of physical attractiveness, similarity, compliments, contact and cooperation, and conditioning and association are factors given for ways liking someone can be influential in persuading them to say yes, (Cialdini, 2009). We enjoy saying yes to people whom we admire and know on a personal level. Cialdini notes that this liking rule can be professionally exploited in many ways. Cialdini states the best way to avoid effects of liking is simply to remain conscious of the effect itself. Even if you like the person, you must mentally retreat and consider whether their offer is truly one that is beneficial and not based on your connection to them.
We obey authorities mindlessly in a lot of cases. We usually see an order from an authority in isolation instead of seeing the situation as a whole. We are as vulnerable to symbols of power as to its substance. A multilayered and widely accepted system of authority confers an immense advantage upon a society. It allows the development of sophisticated structures for the production of resources, trade, defense, expansion, and social control that would otherwise be impossible.our society systematically socializes its members to comply with authority. Additionally, because people in positions of power often have access to information that the average person does not, it becomes a convenient shortcut to rely on those in authority to provide guidance for action. While all this complicity has many benefits, it can become equally destructive when citizens follow those in power without engaging critical thinking skills. (Cialdini, 2009).
The thought of losing something motivates us more than the idea of gaining something of similar value. We believe things that are difficult to own are usually better than things that are easy to own. Thus, scarcity of an item indicates the item should be better. As opportunities become less available, we lose freedom. And we hate to lose the freedom we already have. Freedom once granted will not be relinquished without a fight,( Cialdini, 2009).
