The book. The new edition enriched withinfluence and manipulation, by social psychologist Robert Cialdini, arouses attention as worries, suspicions and false news assail everyone’s cognitive abilities. But if the thick volume excels in the description of the levers operated by the manipulators, its reading sometimes stumbles on a question: is this brilliant demonstration due to the member of the American Academy of Sciences or to the successful international consultant?
The author directed the research laboratory in the psychology of persuasion (University of Arizona), while experimenting in the field – for three years, he, incognito, followed and observed training of salespeople and others “influencers”. In addition, at the head of the company Influence at Work, he advises leading business leaders; he was also a consultant for Barack Obama’s campaign in 2012 and for that of Hillary Clinton in 2016. However, the theory that “The powers of persuasion appeal to a limited set of deeply held human drives and needs in predictable ways” remains attractive. The author details seven principles of influence, illustrated by numerous examples.
Reciprocity, “one of the most fundamental norms of human society, reminds the psychologist, demands that an individual repay what another has provided to him ”. In practice: people who receive something from you are more likely to respond favorably to your requests.
Sympathy, because “People we like have more influence over us. But this principle can apply to individuals we hardly know”. The author cites a study on the poor adhesion of Americans to the theory of evolution (26% in 2005, according to the Pew Research Center): it concluded, in 2018, that the opinion of George Clooney would have the power to significantly increase or decrease this membership rate.
The order of an authority figure
Social proof. “When in doubt, people look to their peers for answers,” writes the psychologist. An example: researchers examined, in 2020, the reasons which led the Japanese to wear a mask recommended by the health authorities. Among the many motivations, only one was decisive: “the fact of seeing others wearing it”.
Authority. Robert Cialdini subtly updates Stanley Milgram’s study, published in 1963, showing that many individuals (65%) were willing to inflict intolerable levels of pain on another if ordered to do so by an authority figure.
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