Y12W19VC The six levers of persuasion

Points of mechanical or psychological influence; mechanisms used to exert pressure or effect change.

Word family: lever (v.), leveraged (v./adj.)

Synonyms: mechanisms, tools, instruments

Collocations: psychological levers, six levers, pull the levers

Example: Cialdini identified six levers of persuasion that operate across different industries.

The power to affect others' thinking, behaviour, or decisions; the capacity to produce an effect.

Word Breakdown: in- (into, Latin) + -flu (flow) + -ence (state of)

Word family: influential (v.), influencing (v.)

Synonyms: persuasion, sway, impact

Collocations: influence and persuasion, exert influence, sphere of influence

Example: The book became one of the most influential popular-psychology books of the late twentieth century.

Coming together from different directions; tending toward the same point or conclusion.

Word Breakdown: con- (together) + vergent (turning)

Word family: converge (v.), convergence (v.)

Synonyms: converging, intersecting, combining

Collocations: convergent structure, convergent evidence, convergent approach

Example: The techniques used across different industries had convergent structure beneath the specific tactics.

The tendency or capacity to be affected, influenced, or harmed; openness to an effect or influence.

Word Breakdown: sus- (under, Latin) + -cept (take/receive) + -ibility (capable of)

Word family: susceptible (v.), susceptibly (adv.)

Synonyms: vulnerability, openness, receptiveness

Collocations: susceptibility to influence, reduce susceptibility, cognitive susceptibility

Example: Understanding the principles of persuasion allows you to notice and reduce your own susceptibility to manipulation.

Outside awareness; happening without conscious thought or deliberate awareness.

Word Breakdown: un- (not) + conscious (aware)

Word family: consciousness (v.), unconsciously (adv.)

Synonyms: unaware, automatic, involuntary

Collocations: unconscious effect, unconscious bias, unconscious response

Example: The effect is often unconscious; we don't realise how much we're adjusting our response based on authority signals.

Recognised power or expertise; the right or power to give orders and enforce obedience.

Word Breakdown: auth- (self, Greek) + -ority (quality of)

Word family: authoritative (v.), authorize (v.)

Synonyms: expertise, power, credibility

Collocations: authority figures, perceived authority, authority symbols

Example: We defer more readily to perceived authorities than to the same information offered by someone without authority markers.

Mutual exchange; the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit.

Word Breakdown: rec- (back, Latin) + -proca (mutual)

Word family: reciprocal (v.), reciprocate (v.)

Synonyms: mutual exchange, quid pro quo, give-and-take

Collocations: reciprocity principle, create reciprocity, exploit reciprocity

Example: When someone gives us something, even something small, we feel a strong pull to give something back through reciprocity.

Limited availability; the state of being in short supply or having limited quantity.

Word family: scarce (v.), scarcely (adv.)

Synonyms: shortage, rarity, insufficiency

Collocations: scarcity principle, artificial scarcity, create scarcity

Example: We value things more when they appear to be rare, limited, or about to become unavailable through scarcity.

Cialdini's first lever — the psychological principle that receiving something creates an obligation to give back, making subsequent requests harder to refuse.

Synonyms: mutual exchange, quid pro quo

Collocations: exploit reciprocity, reciprocity principle, reciprocity instinct

Example: In practice, cialdini's first lever — the psychological principle that receiving something creates an obligation to give back, making subsequent requests harder to refuse..

Cialdini's lever — the principle that once people commit to something publicly or in writing, they feel pressure to behave consistently with that commitment.

Synonyms: related term, similar concept

Collocations: commitment and consistency, exploit consistency, consistency principle

Example: In practice, cialdini's lever — the principle that once people commit to something publicly or in writing, they feel pressure to behave consistently with that commitment..

Cialdini's lever — the principle that people look to others' behaviour as evidence of what they should do, especially when similar to themselves.

Synonyms: related term, similar concept

Collocations: social proof principle, exploit social proof, social proof at scale

Example: In practice, cialdini's lever — the principle that people look to others' behaviour as evidence of what they should do, especially when similar to themselves..

Cialdini's lever — the principle that people defer more readily to perceived experts, officials, and those with status than to the same information from others.

Synonyms: expertise, credibility, power

Collocations: authority principle, authority signals, display authority

Example: In practice, cialdini's lever — the principle that people defer more readily to perceived experts, officials, and those with status than to the same information from others..

Cialdini's lever — the principle that people are more easily persuaded by those they like, based on factors like attractiveness, similarity, compliments, and cooperation.

Synonyms: related term, similar concept

Collocations: liking principle, exploit liking, build liking

Example: In practice, cialdini's lever — the principle that people are more easily persuaded by those they like, based on factors like attractiveness, similarity, compliments, and cooperation..

Cialdini's sixth lever of influence: people value and desire things more when they are rare or becoming unavailable, regardless of their actual utility.

Word family: scarce (v.), scarcely (adv.)

Synonyms: rarity, shortage, limited availability

Collocations: artificial scarcity, scarcity principle, create scarcity

Example: In practice, cialdini's sixth lever of influence: people value and desire things more when they are rare or becoming unavailable, regardless of their actual utility..