The Persuasion and Social Influence Phenomenon

What is the persuasion and social influence phenomonon? The persuasion and social influence phenomenon describes the processes of influencing other people's beliefs, attitudes, or behavior. The underlying mechanism of persuasion is a form of social control, but it is not always intentional. In some cases, it is just for entertainment or informing. While many people find persuasion to be unethical, it can be justified through social control and mutual accommodation.

A common example of this type of influence is conformity, which is similar to normative influence. In this case, an individual is motivated by the need to gain social rewards but not by group pressure, fear, or threats. In contrast, individuals who choose to conform to the norm are motivated by the expectation of avoiding punishment, disapproval, or a satisfying relationship. According to Moscovici and his collaborators, people are influenced by the opinions of their peers.

While persuasion is an ancient art, it has become a modern phenomenon. In the Middle Ages, it was considered one of the most important liberal arts, and preachers used the spoken word to incite virtuous behavior and religious pilgrimage. In the modern age, persuasion is most visible in advertising. While it may be impossible to control the influences of social influence, it is possible to discern the influence of communications on attitudes and behaviors.

The influence of social influence is the ability of the group to persuade others. In social networks, it is often used to persuade people to do something they wouldn't otherwise do. The power of social media has allowed it to move from individual to collective. Similarly, crowd sourcing and social media enable social change by increasing the impact of persuasion on groups.

This powerful process has been proven to result in everything from people joining the army to becoming Buddhist monks. In fact, the power of persuasion is so powerful that the message itself changes the behavior of the audience. For instance, if an ad is convincing an individual to donate money to a church, they are more likely to agree to the idea. In the case of a politician, the ad may even persuade someone to become a vegetarian.

Various studies have demonstrated the power of persuasion and social influence. In a famous experiment, conducted by Stanley Milgram in 1898, a learner was given electric shocks while begging a teacher to stop. The learner begged the teacher to stop, but the teacher encouraged him to ignore him. This method was termed as "foot in the door" persuasion.