The ability to convince has nothing to do with the imposition of any feelings, attitudes or thoughts to another person. It is important to understand that suggestion and belief are different.
Persuasion means a certain view of the world that encourages a person to act in a certain way, as well as the process of transferring this view to other people. For example, a guy has a belief: alcohol is evil. It is for this reason that he does not drink alcohol. The guy also tells his friends about the negative impact of alcohol on the human body, so he tries to convey his conviction.
The transfer of beliefs also occurs during the communication of the parent or teacher with the child. A similar situation is observed in the scientific field, when one scientist argues his theory, and another thinks over it and decides whether to agree or not. Therefore, under the conviction understand the conscious process of perception of information and its adoption as their own beliefs.
By suggestion is meant the imposition of attitudes, while critical thinking of a person and his consciousness bypass. When suggesting, they often use the subconscious. Examples include emotional-volitional exposure, pressure, or hypnosis.
You must be able to convince too. There are special methods of persuasion, thanks to which it is much easier to transfer your mindset to another person. This is a kind of "base", having studied which you will discover new opportunities.
Methods of conviction in pedagogy and in life
People have long researched the reasons that prompt us to perform certain actions at the request of another person. Undoubtedly, there is a scientific foundation under the ability to convince. By Robert Chaldini 6 basic techniques of belief in psychology were derived. Let's look at 5 of them in more detail, because having studied these principles, you can significantly increase your chances of obtaining consent in response to your request.
Principle of consent
One of the psychological methods of persuasion is based on the principle of consent or, as it is also called, “herd effect”. When a person is in a situation where his indecision is manifested, he will be guided by the behavior and actions of other people.
For example, a group of people is offered to choose a tour to one of the proposed countries. Suppose that all those who have not yet decided will become aware that already 75% of tourists have chosen Italy. More likely, the remaining tourists will also choose Italy, since such a choice has already been made by the majority. The essence of this method is simple: no need to try to convince a person by coming up with various arguments, it is much easier to turn his attention to the choice of the majority.
The principle of sympathy
The human psyche is designed in such a way that it is difficult for us to refuse or disagree with the person we like. Have you ever wondered why this happens? Let's look at three facets of this issue.
- We feel sympathy for those people who, we think, are like us. Communicating with them gives the impression that they are a reflection of us. We respect and desire such people to agree with everything that they say and do.
- We have the best feelings for those who praise us. It is difficult for such people to say “no”, because in this case we will lose praise.
- We like people with whom we share a common cause. In such a situation, failure can lead to deterioration of interpersonal relations and the collapse of the common cause.
A visual experiment showing the influence of sympathy was conducted among two groups of students. Groups were given the same tasks. One group was told: "Time is money, so proceed with the task right away." Another group was invited to get to know and chat with each other before embarking on a task. As a result, in the second group, 90% of the participants worked together, as they managed to develop sympathy for each other. Only 55% of students worked in the first group.
In order to effectively apply the method of sympathy for the purpose of persuasion, before you begin discussing important issues with your opponent, you need to see the areas in which you are similar and notice them. By pointing out similarities in certain things, you will position your interlocutor, after which it will be difficult for him to disagree with you.
Principle of authority
People always listen to those who are considered authority. Therefore, if you have earned credibility in the eyes of your interlocutor, it will not be difficult to convince him of anything.
A good example is university classes. If the subject is taught by a trainee who has not yet managed to gain authority in the eyes of students, then most likely they will not listen to him and carry out his calls to action. If the dean of the faculty comes to the lecture, then surely all students will listen carefully to him and follow the instructions, since he has great authority in their eyes. The principle of authority can be used by celebrities in various promotions.
If before trying to convince you will gain credibility in the eyes of the interlocutor, then perhaps your task will be greatly simplified. It is important that the opponent understands that you deserve his trust and have valuable experience in the right field.
Principle of rarity
Remember the crisis when people began to buy sugar, as soon it had to disappear from store shelves and become a rarity. This situation clearly shows that people tend to get what is hard to get. Designer clothes are expensive and very popular for the same reason. People are proud when they become owners of rare things.
Reciprocity principle
When a person provides us with any service, we believe that we should do something good in return. We often feel obligated to reciprocate the good things that other people do to us. For example, if a friend helped us with a term paper, then in the future, if he makes a request, we will help him. In this way, the principle of reciprocity works.
When a waitress brings a bill in a restaurant and puts a lollipop with it, then, as a rule, she gets a tip 3% more than usual. It has been experimentally verified that, adding one more lollipop to the bill, the waitress will receive 4 times more tips, only the second lollipop needs to be handed personally. The reciprocity principle also works in this situation. The key to the successful application of the principle of reciprocity is to provide a pleasant and unexpected service first, and then use what a person feels obligated.
The methods of persuasion also include:
- Socrates method;
- orders and commands;
- placebo.
Let us consider in more detail each of them.
Socrates Method
One of the most interesting methods of persuasion is the method of Socrates. This technique consists in the fact that immediately before the main topic of conversation, the interlocutor asks his opponent several abstract questions that he will answer positively. These may be issues related to weather, well-being, and so on. The trick lies in the fact that after a positive context in the future, the interlocutor will be disposed to respond and think in the same spirit.
Such a principle of the human brain was noticed by Socrates, in whose honor this principle of persuasion was named. Socrates always tried to conduct the conversation in such a way that his interlocutor did not have the opportunity to say no. We advise you to take this method with all seriousness, because Socrates knew how to persuade and did not cause any negative reactions.
Method of orders and commands
Surely you noticed the incredible power of commands and orders, which are important methods of persuasion. They require immediate execution, prompting people to certain actions without much thought. There are two types of orders and commands: incentive and approving. The incentives include: “Do it!”, “Bring it!”, “Go!”. Examples of approving commands and orders may include: “Shut up!”, “Stop!”, “Stop!”.
Placebo method
One of the well-known methods of persuasion is the placebo effect, it is especially widespread in the field of medicine. The essence of the reception is that the doctor prescribes pills to a person with a certain disease. Naturally, a person believes that the pills that he takes have a positive effect and contributes to the healing process. However, for the experiment, the doctor gives the patient pills that do not have any effect on the body. But the patient magically begins to recover. This principle is applied in other areas, and it is very effective.
Mindfulness test
Which of the techniques relates to the methods of persuasion?
- The method of Socrates.
- Orders and commands.
- Freud's method
- Placebo.
Methods of persuasion in everyday life
The following persuasion techniques are also important: discussion, understanding, condemnation, and trust. These are the most understandable methods that we encounter every day and are often used unconsciously. For example, consider the principle of understanding and trust. When we feel that the interlocutor understands us, it inspires confidence. Therefore, in such a situation, we become vulnerable, and it is easy enough to convince us.
A strong principle is conviction. People are always worried about what others think of them, and this can play a cruel joke. Often we do not do what we really want, simply because of fear of condemnation. Therefore, using this principle, one can easily convince a person to act in a certain way.
Discussion is also one of the principles of persuasion. If we are ready to discuss, this already indicates our openness to man. During an open conversation, weighty arguments can be made that will have the desired effect on the interlocutor.
Now that you know the basic techniques and techniques of persuasion, your life will be better. But knowing little to practice persuasion skills requires practice. Use the information in this article in everyday life and hone your persuasion skills.