Skip to content

The Neuropsychology of Persuasion: 6 Shortcuts to Winning Someone Over

In our increasingly overloaded lives today we need shortcuts, or rules of thumb, to guide our decision-making. 
Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

In our increasingly overloaded lives today we need shortcuts, or rules of thumb, to guide our decision-making. So says Big Think expert Robert Cialdini, professor of marketing and psychology at Arizona State University. Cialdini has co-authored the new book Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive


Cialdini’s research is based on six fundamental principles of human influence: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking and consensus. Cialdini says that if these principles are employed in an ethical manner, they can significantly increase the chances that someone will be persuaded by your request.  

These shortcuts are explained in the video animation here:

How is it that people can be convinced to say “yes” to something even if they may not be interested in the idea on its merits? In other words, why are we such suckers? Why do we end up saying “yes” to salespeople selling us products we don’t want all the time?

In the video below, Cialdini explains why we are so susceptible. 

Watch the video here:

Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Related

Up Next