INFLUENCE
4th Edition

Robert Cialdini

Allyn and Bacon, 2001

Over a quarter million copies sold! How does this information make you feel about the book? If, even for a moment, you thought that such a popular book might be the one you were interested in, you may have been persuaded by a potent principle of influence -- in this case, the principle of social proof. Have you ever found yourself saying 'yes' to a child selling candy and then wondering why you have just agreed to buy something you really don't want? We like to think of ourselves as in control of our opinions, decisions and actions, but backed by 25 years of research, psychologist Robert Cialdini has identified six basic psychological pressures almost guaranteed to induce our compliance: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. Understanding and recognizing these pressures can go a long way to helping us towards more mindful responses in a world of increasingly sophisticated tactics of sales and propaganda.