Scientifically proven ways to manipulate people

[Lord777]

Start convincing small
On the eve of the 2000 US presidential election, sociologist Anthony Greenwald conducted an interesting experiment on potential voters. He called them at home and asked two questions. First, do they feel responsible for the fate of their country? Second: are they ready to come to the polls? As a result, at the polling stations where voters interviewed by Greenwald were registered, a high turnout was recorded - 86.7%. At the same time, on average in the country, only 61.5% came to vote.

This is how psychology explained the high turnout. At first, Greenwald asked about their sense of responsibility for their country. Of course, most of the respondents answered that yes, they feel responsible for the country, how could it be otherwise, since the opposite answer is socially disapproved. The next question logically followed from the previous one. And it is logical that, again, most people answered in the affirmative. After all, it would sound strange: a person feels responsibility for the country, but is not going to vote.

So, after the majority of the respondents publicly announced that they were going to vote, they motivated themselves to act in accordance with the obligations they had just assumed. That is, to act from the position of a responsible citizen, which Greenwald forced them to accept.

Be the first to do a favor
Every person, if he has at least some semblance of conscience, always feels obligated when he is rendered a service, help, or given a gift. Guided by this thesis, Professor Dennis Regan from Karolinska University conducted his experiment.

Two people were invited into the room under the pretext of assessing the quality of the paintings (yes, they found an excuse): one was a real test subject, and the second was an assistant to the test person. The experiment was carried out in two versions. In the first case, the assistant left the room for five minutes, and then returned with two cans of Coca-Cola: he took one for himself, and handed the second to the subject, thereby showing him an uninvited courtesy. In the second case, the assistant returned empty-handed.

Give the illusion that it's almost done
American psychologist Ran Kivets conducted an experiment with loyalty programs in coffee shops. The essence of such programs is to collect stickers on the card (one sticker for the purchase of one coffee). When there are ten of them, the card can be exchanged for free coffee.

Kivets divided the subjects into two groups. The first group was offered a blank card with a field for 10 stickers. The second group was given cards with space for 12 stickers, two of which had already been glued on.

As you can guess, in the second case, filling out the cards, and therefore buying coffee, went much more actively. Although in both cases it was necessary to paste 10 stickers.

Whenever you ask for a favor, remember to mention that the deed is almost done. “Look, I've already moved this piano to the door. It remains to take him out of the apartment, and then some miserable nine floors." The perfectionist who sits deep within the object of your manipulation will not be able to resist the desire to help you complete the task.

Use the herd feeling
As unpleasant as it sounds, a person tends to keep his mental activity to a minimum. It is much easier for him to rely on someone else's opinion, and even more so on the opinion of the majority, than to develop his own. This was used by John Darley of New York University and Bibb Latane of Columbia University when conducting their experiment to study the influence of the "effect of someone else's opinion" on people's behavior.

Several people were supposedly invited to the audience to pass the creative test, and there was only one subject, and all the rest were Darley and Latane's assistants. Smoke was blown into the audience right in the middle of testing. So, the reaction of the only subject to what was happening entirely depended on the behavior of the people around him: if everyone sat with stone faces, as if nothing was happening, then the subject also tried not to show it. If everyone panicked, he would panic too.

 

[Hacker]

How to manipulate the other person
Salute to those who like to live at someone else's expense, in complex negotiations, in everyday work, in relations with superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers, suppliers, we are constantly faced with speech manipulation. This is not surprising, because business communication has the main goal of encouraging the interlocutor to take action or convince them of something.

Sometimes speech manipulation goes beyond the bounds of decency and turns into outright attacks or rudeness. They can find fault with anyone and anything. If you have the audacity, assertiveness and loud voice, the interlocutor can very quickly throw you into confusion, knock you out of the channel of a reasoned answer and force you to deviate from the topic under discussion.

Below are some of the most common speech manipulation techniques that you can now easily recognize and avoid being provoked.

Question your opponent's competence
Almost any person who is not an expert in the issue under discussion can be convicted of incompetence, because it is impossible to know everything. With the developed skills of speech manipulation, you can catch any expert.

The standard technique here is to use generalizing questions.

• "Well, how can I have a dialogue with you if you don't even understand basic things?"
• "If I were you, I would be ashamed to argue on a topic where your knowledge gaps will be visible to anyone."

Detection of self-interest
If a person defends his point of view, he needs it for some reason. If he needs it, he can be blamed for his own selfish interests in this matter.

• "We all understand that you are driven by only one thing – your own selfish interests, covered up by concern for common problems."

A call to truth, justice and truth
The appeal to truth, truth, justice, common sense, etc. is usually available to each of the conflicting parties equally simply because the truth does not exist.

I advise you to share the article with a friend or friends in the group, and do not forget to forward it to your favorites, so as not to lose it in case of deletion! Did you do it? "then finish reading it

It is more profitable, of course, to be the party that first remembers about justice. Attempts by the other side to jump into the same car will look like an excuse or lack of weighty arguments.

• "I do it this way because it is important for me that the issue is resolved fairly, and it seems that you do not like making fair decisions, since you put your interests above the interests of the company"
• "We want to get to the bottom of this, and you obviously don't like it."

Getting personal
When an opponent has a strong supporting base, or has strong support, switching to a discussion of their specific personality will help significantly reduce their position.

• "You have not yet earned the trust to speak on behalf of..."
• "Just look at you and it's clear that you don't believe a single word you say."

Remember past mistakes
The one who does nothing is not mistaken. Errors can be found in everyone.

People are much more affected by their mistakes than they seem at first glance. The essence of the technique is to remember any mistake made, inflate it to a huge size, or show concern about repeating what happened.

• "Last year you were already entrusted with a responsible task. You failed it. Do you want us to step on the same rake again?"
• "You had an opportunity to prove yourself in January at the ... event, and you almost ruined everything."

 

[Brother]

11 ways to manipulate people and how not to become a victim of it​

Social proof or principle of social proof​

In the Soviet Union, people first got up in line and only then wondered where it was leading. “If all these people are waiting, then the product is good,” everyone thought. The very presence of the queue signaled the value of the proposed product. Thus, the principle of social proof was manifested in Soviet society. Based on the herd instinct, it is to imitate the behavior of the majority and is a protective function of our brain, freeing the latter from the need to process unnecessary information. This is where the nature of the mainstream lies.
The principle of social proof works especially effectively when a person finds himself in a confused or ambiguous situation, and he does not have time to really understand it. “In any incomprehensible situation, do it like everyone else” - Social Proof solves all problems at once. When we want to buy a new gadget and are racking our brains over which model to choose, reviews and ratings are often the decisive criterion for us. The principle of social proof is deeply rooted in modern business. You no longer need to prove to a potential client how good the product is, it is enough to note that most people think so.
Today, marketers strongly recommend that the owners of sites and various pages do not advertise counters if the indicators on them are modest. A large number of subscribers is the best sign of quality and a reason to subscribe too. This also applies to website traffic.
Another painful example of the use of the principle of social proof is sketches and humorous serials. Viewers often complain that they are annoyed by the background laughter after each joke. However, this does not affect the effectiveness of the method. People are used to focusing on the reaction of others when determining what is funny, and often react not to a joke, but to the accompanying laughing offscreen.
By the way, Social proof served as the basis for the emergence of some professions. For example, a claque is a person who, for a fee, comes to a performance, applauds loudest and shouts "Bravo!"

Group reinforcement method​

This technique in places overlaps with the previous one, but, unlike it, is focused on changing human beliefs rather than behavior. According to this principle, with repeated repetition of the same thesis (idea, concept) within a group, its members will eventually accept this statement as true. American academician and writer Robert Carroll emphasizes that a repeated judgment does not have to be true. It will be believed, no matter how theoretically or practically proven. Moreover, it is believed that people take on faith, without critical assessment, any group values, ideas, doctrines, if they identify themselves with this group and do not want to be branded as outcasts. This mental phenomenon and manifestation of conformism is called indoctrination. Phenomena opposite to indoctrination: "social autonomy", "criticality", "non-conformism".
A colorful example of the work of the group reinforcement method is stereotypes, myths and legends that wander from generation to generation. In addition, the technique is actively used by the media and is an effective tool in information wars. Through clever manipulation of facts and various speech tricks, the media impose certain beliefs on us through the systematic repetition of the same thoughts. To combat these trends, a media education course is being introduced into curricula in some countries to develop critical thinking in people of all ages.

Reciprocal exchange rule​

The rule of mutual exchange says: a person is obliged to repay for what another person has provided to him. In simple words - to answer good for good. And since any obligations are depressing, you want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Therefore, the rule works and is actively used by some "initiates". Such people may deliberately provide a small favor with the expectation of making a larger request in the future.
The people say: "they take advantage of someone's kindness." It is noteworthy that knowledge of the rule of mutual exchange does not free a person from the desire to repay their "debts".
Why do supermarkets give food for free to try? Why do various companies distribute pens, notepads and other souvenirs to their guests? How do you explain free promotions in bars and gum after dinner in restaurants? Do employees want to make customers happy? No matter how it is.

Asking for help, or the Benjamin Franklin method​

Once Benjamin Franklin needed to establish contact with a man who openly disliked him. Then Benjamin turned to this man with a request to lend him a rare book. Franklin was as polite as possible in his request and thanked the person even more politely when he agreed. After this incident, they became good friends.
The essence of the method of the same name is that people love when they are asked for help. First, starting from the rule of mutual exchange, a person thinks that, if necessary, he can count on a reciprocal service. Secondly, by helping, he feels needed and useful. And this, as they say, is priceless.
By the way, it is believed that in the beginning it is better to ask for more than you want to receive. If you are suddenly refused, the next time you try, you can voice a real request, and this time it will be inconvenient to refuse.

Logic rung rule​

Psychologists have come to the conclusion that the desire to be or seem consistent in their actions is an innate feature of a person, which often forces him to go against his own interests.
The fact is that in modern society, consistency is considered a virtue. She is associated with honesty, intelligence, strength and stability. English physicist Michael Faraday said that consistency is valued more than rightness. Inconsistent behavior is usually considered a negative quality and mistaken for duplicity.
In order to force a person to act in a certain way, it is necessary to launch a sequence mechanism in his thinking. Social psychologists refer to commitment as the starting point in this mechanism. A person who has made a commitment (even if unconsciously) will do everything to fulfill it.
For example, if a person is recognized as the best chess player in the city, after this incident he will train three times more, just to justify the obligation and status assigned to him. The sequence mechanism is launched: "If I am like this, then I must this, this and that ...".

Positive reinforcement​

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS A PLEASANT CONSEQUENCE OF HER ACTION: praise, reward, or reward that prompts the person to take these actions in the future.
Once a group of Harvard students conducted an interesting experiment. At one of the lectures, the guys agreed that when the teacher moves to one side of the hall, everyone will smile, and when in the opposite direction, they will frown. It is not necessary to have seven spans in the forehead to guess in which part of the audience the lecturer spent most of the lesson. This experiment was entrenched in history as the "Verplanck experiment" and became a confirmation that positive feedback has an educational effect on a person.
According to the American psychologist Skinner, praise educates a person more effectively than punishment, which is more likely to harm the person. Freud confirms the theory of a colleague and, in describing the pleasure principle, emphasizes that a person's desire to receive positive emotions pushes him to perform actions that reinforce them and thus are associated with pleasure. Consequently, the absence of the chain "action - pleasure" deprives a person of motivation and desire to do something.

Fear motivation​

THE MOST POWERFUL HUMAN EMOTION IS FEAR.
Therefore, in order to force a person to do something, you need to scare him. The advertising business is built on this principle. I wonder how many tons of descaling solution were sold after contemplating the cemetery of washing machines in the infamous advertisement? Insurance companies use the same methods. Until the client is scared, he will not be insured. And the easiest way to do this is if you show him statistics, how many apartments were robbed, how many were burned, how many cars were stolen. After all, if there is an opportunity to protect yourself from loss, plus get rid of unnecessary stress, why refuse help?
On the other hand, you can scare, for example, your employee so that it will bring him to dismissal. Therefore, wise leaders use the power of fear wisely. As a rule, they put pressure on the fear of loss: "We are considering your candidacy for a promotion, but so far, unfortunately, you are not fulfilling the plan ...". If you outline the possible losses to a person, he will accept the directives proposed to him. According to one study, people are twice as likely to agree with something precisely in the face of loss.

Aikido method​

The peculiarity of the martial art of aikido is to use the strength of the enemy against himself. Adapted to the communication environment, this method is used in tense negotiations or conflict situations and implies the return to the opponent of his own aggression in order to get what he wants from the interlocutor.
Newton's law says: the force of action is equal to the force of reaction. Consequently, the more rudely a person responds to his opponent, the more fiercely he defends his position, the more aggression he receives in response. The main principle of aikido is to win by giving way. To persuade a person to his point of view, first of all, you need to agree with him, moreover, “mirroring” his manner of speaking and behaving. And then, in a calm tone, propose your own version of the development of events. Thus, the person retains his strength, does not irritate the opponent and ultimately wins.
A slightly exaggerated example might look like this: “You are a fool. You're doing everything wrong. - Yes, I'm doing everything wrong because I'm a fool. Let's try to find a way out of this situation together ... ".

The principle of vertical​

All the famous world dictators convinced their opponents even before they started talking. They knew how to position their bodies in space in such a way that in the eyes of the interlocutor they look like a “living argument”.
First, they were always vertically on a level above those with whom they spoke. There is a psychological explanation for this. The fact is that the subconscious mind initially perceives those who are higher as authorities. Our parents have always been taller than us. But they were our authorities for many years. This why explains many executives arrange chairs and tables in their offices to look down at their subordinates.
Also, for our subconsciousness, a person who takes up a lot of space seems more convincing and right. Sweeping gestures, outstretched "T-shaped" arms on the back of a chair or active movement around the room during a presentation - all this helps to embrace the maximum amount of space and grow in the eyes of the beholder.

Built-in speech commands​

Built-in speech commands help the initiator of communication create a certain mood in the addressee, evoke the desired emotion and, accordingly, direct his thoughts in a given direction. An embedded message is a fragment of a phrase that stands out with gestures or intonation. In this case, the impact occurs on the subconscious of a person who may not pay attention to the phrase itself.
By introducing positively colored vocabulary into our speech (words like “nice”, “good”, “happiness”, “success”, “trust”, etc.), we make the interlocutor feel happier and more successful. It does not matter what the speech is about and in what context these words are used, the main thing is to highlight them with intonation or gesture.

Spiral of silence​

In the theory of mass communication, there is such a thing as a spiral of silence. Proposed by the German political scientist Elisabeth Noel-Neumann, this concept boils down to the fact that people can share a certain point of view, but are afraid to admit it, because they think they are in the minority. The spiral of silence is based on the fear of social isolation and begins to work the moment someone confidently expresses their point of view on a socially significant topic. Those who disagree with what they hear prefer to remain silent and not speak out, because they are convinced that they are in the minority and are afraid of isolation.
There is a pattern that mature individuals who have taken place do not succumb to the fear of social isolation and are able to express their opinions without looking back at the public. It is these people who drive progress and stimulate global change. The second half of humanity is the guarantor of strength and stability in society.

How to protect yourself from social manipulation?​

INFLUENCE ON THE SUBCONSCIOUSNESS IS NOT ANY SIMPLE THING.
Do not take it as an uncritical "trash": what "threw", then "fell". The subconscious is always first of all on our side and seeks to reject information that is hostile to us or does not correspond to our goals. Therefore, suggestions “disadvantageous” for the “owner” are rejected very quickly. To bypass this protective mechanism, manipulators almost always use the “speed pressure” method - you need to make a decision right now, there is no time to think! If you are faced with this, in no case make any decisions, take a time out.

The healthier and more balanced our lifestyle, the harder it is to use us for bad purposes.

Another popular manipulation method is the "false alternative". You are prompted to quickly choose one of the options, and none of them is in your interests. For example: "How is it more convenient for you to pay for our wonderful product - at once the full amount or in installments?" The option “No way at all, I don't want to buy your product” is not considered. Therefore, I advise you to turn on the "alarm" every time you hear such an "either-or".
The most striking example for all situations at once is a sale in a large store. The stuffiness, hustle and bustle, haste combined with loud music and the noise of the crowd are ideal conditions for rash spending.
Accordingly, the conclusions suggest themselves: the healthier and more balanced our way of life, the more difficult it is to use us for bad purposes.