When Words Decide
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The same thing told in different ways will be heard differently and have different effects. In a recent post (Who Needs Charisma?), I mentioned an article in the August/September 2007 issue of Scientific American MIND magazine (The New Psychology of Leadership). In that same issue, there is another extraordinary article which I want to refer to, since it has so much to do with persuasion. In When Words Decide, author Barry Schwartz describes how the wording of questions or choices have a shockingly deep effect on the final decisions of people. Some of what Schwartz says is pretty obvious information. But the article does provide some detailed tidbits that any leader should apply when trying to get his or her way. Here they are presented, along with suggestions on how to use them as a leader who wants to persuade
1. People normally choose the default option. It’s easier and they assume it’s best for them.
Tip: Use your preferred option as the default. It’s simpler and easier for people to do nothing. Provide an opt-out option instead of an opt-in option. For example, if you prefer that your employees have a 401-K plan, make it the default option, leaving the employees with the power of declining to have one by opting out.
2. People are more motivated to not lose something than to gain something. For some reason, the fear of negative things is more impacting to people than the possibility of gaining something.
Tip: Emphasize to people the negative characteristics of an option you are against (obviously) but do so in a way that motivates them to prevent loss. For example, if you are running a campaign to get people tested for HIV, tell them what will happen in the case of late detection (lose your life) instead of what they could gain in case of early detection (more effective treatment).
3. People pick the most favorable of two options, but if given only one option they don’t have anything to compare to. If you ask people if $100 is a fair price for a microwave, their answers will be inconsistent. If on the other hand, you present people with that same microwave and ask them if the new $500 “Premium” microwave is a better offer, most would see the first one as the best choice.
Tip: Give people a specific context to work with. Make your preferred option the most favorable of two options, even if it’s less favorable than a third unnamed option. In other words, provide a field of comparison when trying to persuade.
For clarification and further helpful examples, go to the complete article:
Scientific American Mind: When Words Decide
Researchers are discovering the myriad ways in which
language can have a profound effect on the choices we make–from the foods we eat to the laws we support
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