The document discusses the psychology of persuasion and compliance engineering. It outlines six basic psychological principles that direct human behavior: contrast, reciprocity, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. It then explains how these principles can be exploited through things like subtle comparisons, implied obligations, conforming to social norms, invoking authority, fostering similarity, and creating a sense of urgency. The document also provides an introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming and how understanding things like sensory processing and communication styles can enhance relationships and effectiveness.

1. The Psychology of
Persuasion
Compliance engineering for social enterprise
C. Caldwell
Oct 2009

2. Compliance or getting
to YES What’s covered
• Implications for developing new clients and
client behaviours
• New behaviours for yourself
• Greater chance of success
• Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic
Programming

3. Six Principles
Six basic psychological principles that direct
human behavior:
1. Contrast
2. Reciprocity
3. Social proof
4. Authority
5. Liking
6. Scarcity

4. How We Think
Automatic behavior is a vulnerability
that can be exploited
• Quicker pace to life means less time to
think and contemplate
• Reliance on less cues for guidance

5. Contrast
Exploiters will mimic trigger features to create
automated response
• Two Homes, One Buyer - comparing price and
quality
• Bad Marks at College?...lets get some
perspective, at least she is not pregnant
• What is the last thing you did? Now compare
with a similar experience just before to
understand the influence of the previous
experience on your decision

6. Reciprocity
The custom of obligation drives us to return
the favour
• Societal and cultural obligations form our
behaviours and create social order
• You owe me one!
• Social proof is more powerful when
observing people who are just like us

7. Social Proof
We will make fewer mistakes by acting in accord
with social evidenced than contrary to it
• Suicide statistics creates more of the same
- exposure to news replicates behaviour
• How do I look? How am I doing? Self-
correcting behaviour to fit in
• Don’t just stand there...do something! Why
in emergencies, people stand and watch

8. Liking
Cooperation is a valuable source of liking; establishing that
similar goals exist and mutual effort is required
•We win! They lose! - why we cheer teams
when they win and dis’ them when they
don’t
• Come together...right now...Tupperware!
• Boys Summer Camp - We purposefully manipulate the
visibility of our connections with winners and losers in order to
make ourselves look good to anyone who views these connections

9. Authority
Authority imparts a human social organization that allows
for development of social structures and social control that
would otherwise be impossible
• Don’t listen to him...he’s wearing a potato
sack - Why we listen to suits more often
• Absolutely shocking - The Milgram
experiment
• We are socially groomed to obey authority

10. Scarcity
Opportunities seem more valuable to us when their
availability is limited
•This slide will only be up for a limited time,
so hurry
• There are still a few chocolates available -
watch people react
• Information can also be exclusive and
scarce - a modern age commodity

11. Summary
Some simple triggers: Say What?
• Pretty good deal compared to the other
• Here’s what I can do for you, will you do this for me?
• Here is what the others are doing...
• Your boss would want you to do this...
• (Mirror actions, clothes, speaking style - be attractive)
• This is a one of a kind opportunity we need to pursue...now!

12. Neuro-Linguistic Programming
• NLP - a better way to understand
behaviour
Text
• We gather information through our senses,
then through our values and beliefs
• Filtered information input -> Internal Map -
> ‘State of being’ -> behaviour output

13. NLP - Why?
• know what you want and how to get it
• build better relationships
• enhance self-esteem and self-confidence
• strengthen your ability to connect to
others
• COMMUNICATE more effectively

14. NLP - How?
Using the Four Pillars of NLP: Outcomes, Sensory
Acuity, Behavioural Flexibility, Rapport
Presuppositions - some beliefs about NLP:
• The map is not the territory
• We all have our own unique model
• Experience has a structure or encoding
• Life, mind and body are one system
• Meaning of communication is the response you get
• We are always on and communicating
• Every behaviour has a reason
• People make the best choices they know how
• No such thing as failure - only feedback

15. NLP - More presuppositions
• If its not working - do something else
• We all have the capability - we need to apply at the right time
and place
• If one person can do it, so can you
• No one is ‘wrong’ - we are all good at something
• In a system, the person with the most flexibility will control
the system
• Have more choices in any given situation

16. Predicates
• NLP is about processing - Visually, Auditory,
Kinaesthetic
• Communication is most effective when using
the same primary representational system
• Our representative system is what we use to
make decisions!
• Figure out what they use to process and
match it when communicating

17. Sources
• Cialdini, Robert B. Influence : The
Psychology of Persuasion. Rev. ed. New
York: Quill, 2003.
• Bavister, S.,Vickers, A. NLP: Teach Yourself.
London, 2008.