Michael Edmonds • Apr 23, 2014 •
A while ago I wrote several blogs looking at how a knowledge of psychology can be used to persuade us to do things (e.g. here and here). Recently I came across the following animated presentation which concisely and cleverly describes key methods of persuasion. Read More
Michael Edmonds • May 02, 2011 •
Ever been asked for a favour by someone which you felt was too much so declined it. But when they followed it with a smaller favour you felt compelled to say yes? If so, you may have just succumbed to the double whammy. In a previous post I talked about reciprocity – the inclination for human beings to want to … Read More
Michael Edmonds • Apr 28, 2011 •
Innuendo is in myopinion one of the most pernicious forms of persuasion. It relies on our tendencies to be cautious and is reflected in the commonly accepted belief that “There is no smoke without fire”. Unfortunately, innuendo is the equivalent of a smoke bomb – able to deliver copious quantities of smoke with no fire at all. Innuendo appears to be fairly common in … Read More
Michael Edmonds • Apr 28, 2011 •
I recently read about a wedding scam in which thieves dressed as delivery men stole wedding presents from the hotel room they were stored in. In order to get past the hotel receptionist, an accomplice telephoned the receptionist with a complex request, at the same time as the “delivery men” arrived. Distracted by the phone call, the receptionist waved the seemingly genuine … Read More
Michael Edmonds • Apr 27, 2011 •
I’ve always had an interest in human psychology, particularly the way people interact with each other. Lately I’ve read a few books which look at how people can influence or persuade others to do what they want. While I find such techniques to be quite interesting, I also find some of them to be quite devisive and ethically questionable. Most focus on … Read More