Robert Cialdini’s Book “Influence”

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Robert Cialdini’s book, “Influence
Robert Cialdini’s book, “Influence” presents valuable information about how human behavior is persuaded to respond in accordance with other people’s wishes. The knowledgeable text reveals that we often fall prey of intentional and spontaneous manipulation by marketing experts or information providers. The book’s fourth chapter, “Social Proof” studies human response to information about other people’s opinions and beliefs. It reveals that people have a tendency of believing in others’ opinions. We even seek advice from to beliefs of fellow member of the community therefore, revealing what one person thinks can persuade another’s judgment. Below are some images and explanations exposing the patterns used to inspire actions and how they conform to the principle of “social proof”.

Figure 1 Dream Trip
Dream trip is an initiative of the company “World Ventures” and the image presented aims to persuade people to join the travel club to get the travel experience. Presenting cards with the information “YOU SHOULD BE HERE”, reveals that people are proud to have joined the club and make the audience believe that by joining they will enjoy the Dream Trip experience.

Figure 2 Facebook Millionaire
The Figure Facebook Millionaire exploits the principle of influence “social proof” to convince facebook users that they can become wealthy by joining a social media interaction. Highlighting the words “Join the Thousands” reveals that positive outcome has been witnessed by thousands of people, hence, reinforce the belief that those who have not joined are missing the chance to make millions.

Figure 3 Max lottery winners
The images above depict lottery winners. Presenting multiple winners on one image persuades people to trust in the people portrayed and to feel that the information displayed is authentic. It convinces them that they can also win the lottery.

Figure 4 Changi Millionaires
The above is an image of a Changi Millionaire. It serves the purpose of enticing new people to participate by presenting a confident believer in the authenticity of Changi. The audience will be tempted because of the cash in the picture and the information presented.