Magnificent Publications specializes in persuasive publications. We just read an excellent book on the subject, Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion, so far distributed only in the United Kingdom. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing some of its insights with you.
How can you get people to do what you want?
Provide them with hints, subtle or blatant, that others like themselves are already doing it.
An example of what not to do: If you go to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, you will see a sign that says, “Your heritage is being vandalized every day by theft losses of petrified wood of 14 tons a year, mostly a small piece at a time.” That message gives the impression that everyone who visits the park steals petrified wood. In truth, only a small percentage do so.
This is what scholars of persuasion call a “negative social proof” sign. The authors tested its effectiveness as follows:
The negative social proof sign conveyed the message that many other visitors had stolen wood. … A second sign conveyed no social proof information. Rather, it simply stated that stealing wood was not appropriate or approved… We also had a control condition in which we didn’t put up either of these signs. …
Unbeknownst to park visitors, we placed marked pieces of petrified wood along visitor pathways. We also varied what sign (if any) was posted at the entrance of each pathway. …
[C]ompared with a no-sign control condition in which 2.92 per cent of the pieces were stolen, the negative social proof message resulted in more theft (7.92 per cent). … [T]he other message, which simply asked visitors not to steal the wood, resulted in slightly less theft (1.67) than the control condition.
Stay tuned for more secrets.
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