Influence

1. What is Influence?

Besides external factors such as environment and conditions, certain principles of human society also influence human decision-making.

When faced with an enthusiastic recommendation from a sales clerk, we somehow end up buying the better (more expensive) one; a plan written on paper has a higher execution rate than one kept only in the mind; it's always hard to refuse a friend's request; one must find an opportunity to treat him to dinner because he treated me last time...

These seem perfectly normal, yet there appear to be patterns behind them. All of these are specific manifestations of influence. If one can pause to think "why" when encountering these issues, one is studying a vast field known as behavioral science.

2. The Reciprocity Principle

I must treat him to dinner as soon as possible; he did me a huge favor last time.

The reciprocity principle originated from the cooperative development of humans in ancient times, establishing a fair network of repayment. Repayment is essentially sharing—ranging from returning a small favor to sharing knowledge—and it has a profound impact on the development of human society. The evolutionary principle of "use it or lose it" has made this thought, beneficial to human development, an innate part of our nature.

As mentioned in Dark Time, there is a Stone Age ape in everyone's head, and he makes some decisions for you. Some of the ape's decision-making principles are ill-suited for the modern environment. To make rational decisions, one must overcome his influence.

Clever people utilize the reciprocity principle for many things, such as campaigning for votes, promotions, sales, and even scams. By first offering a small favor before making a request, the success rate naturally increases significantly. It is important to note that concession is also a type of favor. For instance, after refusing a large request from someone, one will generally agree to their subsequent smaller request because they made a concession, making you feel as though you owe them something and creating an urge to repay.

3. Commitment and Consistency

Worst case, I won't sleep tonight; I must finish this task. I gave my word to the boss, after all.

A vital part of project management is commitment—obtaining commitments from stakeholders, team members, and so on. Obtaining a commitment implies reliability and controllability.

Commitment and consistency are inseparable. Once a commitment is made, there is a strong drive to maintain consistency (between behavior and commitment); otherwise, one suffers the psychological pressure of being inconsistent. Therefore, if you want to do something but lack sufficient determination, you might tell everyone around you about it. The pressure from these commitments will urge you to complete the task. Conversely, if a commitment is tricked out of you, it can force you to act against your will. Beware of such traps.

4. Social Proof

Everyone else is going, so I want to go too, even though I still have unfinished business.

One of humanity's decision-making principles is that what everyone else is doing is "correct." When needing to make a decision, people often habitually look at those around them, and their subsequent choices are heavily influenced. Indifferent bystanders at an accident scene are actually influenced by social proof: since no one else is offering help, I won't either. Conversely, if everyone is helping, I will want to do something too.

The influence of those around us is immense. Phenomena like hooliganism or clusters of suicides are instances where the principle of social proof influences human behavior—a more frightening form of unconscious blind conformity.

5. Liking

I really don't want to help him—it's such a hassle—but I just can't say no.

Refusing a request from a stranger carries no psychological burden, whereas refusing a request from a (known and liked) friend feels unsettling. This is the principle of liking. If you want to ask for a favor, you might as well build a relationship first. Once you are well-acquainted, refusing a request creates psychological pressure, thus greatly increasing the success rate of the request.

It's worth noting that liking (or affinity) often develops from commonalities—what is commonly known as "finding common ground." You can always find commonalities with a stranger, and by developing affinity based on those points, the relationship becomes familiar. At this point, the likelihood of a request being refused is much lower.

6. Authority

Don't you brush your teeth before bed? Experts recommend brushing in the morning and at night.

The profession at the top of the influence pyramid is the doctor; recommendations from authoritative doctors are most easily and widely accepted. Experts possess domain knowledge that ordinary people lack, and advice given based on experience and scholarship naturally holds great reference value, which is beyond reproach.

However, in this age of information explosion, everyone on the internet seems like an expert, and we are more inclined to treat online statements as expert opinions. This subtle influence can lead to future decision-making errors because the decisions are based on faulty advice. Expert status can enhance the credibility of a statement, which is also the brilliance behind some advertisements and scams.

Before deciding to follow authority, the most important thing is to judge the degree of authority and the theoretical basis of the authoritative opinion. If the authoritative opinion contains obvious errors or fallacies, one must persist in questioning rather than accepting it blindly.

7. The Scarcity Principle

I suggest you buy another set as a backup, because we are currently short on stock.

Things are valued for their rarity; out-of-print items are usually more expensive because the scarcity principle causes us to overestimate their original value. When scarcity meets competition, it creates a resonance (having a greater impact on human behavior), such as in an auction house.

Using the scarcity principle can raise people's price threshold. If a batch of new goods isn't selling well, one might increase the price and post an advertisement stating that production will cease due to cost factors, while loudly praising the product's virtues. Usually, doing so can improve sales. Many promotional methods profit by utilizing artificially created scarcity. In reality, an out-of-print item is not necessarily more useful, nor is a scarce dessert necessarily tastier. However, due to the influence of the scarcity principle, people typically have a better subjective feeling towards scarce items—grabbing the last chicken drumstick makes it feel more delicious than usual.

Book Review

Liu Weipeng only started paying attention to psychology and human behavior after reading this book. This book can trigger thinking about life phenomena, help recognize human behavior, and lead to rational decision-making.