RESISTANCE AND PERSUASION
3 components of resistance:
Affective component: I don’t like it
Cognitive component: I don’t believe in it
Behavioral component: I won’t do it
4 faces of resistance:
Reactance: occurs when individuals feel that their freedom or autonomy is being
threatened. They may become defensive or even rebellious in response to the change, in an
effort to reassert their control over the situation.
Distrust: is characterized by skepticism or suspicion toward the change or those
proposing it. Individuals may be wary of the motives behind the change or doubt the ability
of those driving it to implement it effectively.
Scrutiny: involves a close examination of the change or the people behind it. Those
resistant to change may scrutinize every aspect of the proposal, looking for flaws or
inconsistencies, in an effort to discredit it.
Inertia: refers to resistance to change simply because it requires effort or a departure
from the status quo. Individuals may be hesitant to invest time or energy into learning new
skills or processes, or may simply prefer the comfort of familiarity.
Resistance often requires active control process Persuasion often works through
automatic processes (heuristics); self-regulation is a finite resource (depletion)
Limited-resource model of self-control
Ego depletion
Ego depletion means that if you use a lot of mental energy to do something, like
resisting temptation, you might not have enough energy left to do something else that
requires self-regulation/control. It is like using up a battery. This shows that
self-control/regulation is a limited resource that can run out if use it too much, and you need
to take breaks and recharge it.
Counterarguing persuasive messages involves processing the information in the
message, coming up with new information that contradicts it, and using that information to
refute the message. In simpler terms, it means actively thinking about the message and
coming up with reasons why it might not be true. This research suggests that when people
are presented with messages or ideas that go against their existing beliefs or attitudes
(counter-attitudinal messages), they may need to use their self-regulatory resources to resist
those messages and maintain their original beliefs. However, if their self-regulatory
resources are depleted, for example, by engaging in a demanding task, they may have less
,ability to resist the counter-attitudinal messages.
Both self-regulation and resistance to persuasion can be influenced by motivation,
and that ego depletion is most likely to result in observable reductions in resistance when the
motivation to resist is not strong enough to overcome the effects of ego depletion. In simpler
terms, ego depletion can make it harder to resist persuasion when the motivation to resist is
not strong enough to overcome the effects of mental fatigue.
Charity: Acts of benevolence
According to the theory, when people are asked to comply with a charitable request, they
must first use mental resources to consider the request and decide whether to comply. Then, if
they do comply, they must use additional mental resources to actually carry out the benevolence
act. If people have already used up their mental resources on other tasks, they may not have
enough mental energy left to comply with the charitable request.
2 stages:
INITIAL REQUEST(S): do you buy books often? Do you like watching a DVD? Do you
ever buy CD’s?
TARGET REQUEST: would you like to become a member of the book club?
DECISIONAL HEURISTIC: consistency, reciprocity, authority, liking, etc.
Stage 1: Responding to initial requests produces self-regulatory resource depletion
The initial processing of the charitable request. When someone is presented with a
charitable request, they must first use mental resources to consider the request and decide
whether or not to comply. This involves evaluating the request, considering one’s personal
values and motivations, and weighing the costs and benefits of compliance. This can be
mentally demanding.
Foot-in-the-door technique (FITD): persuasion technique in which a small request
is made first, and then it is followed by a larger request (later). The idea behind this is that if
a person agrees to the smaller request, they are more prone to agree to the larger request later
because they have already committed to the initial request (e.g., asking to complete a small
and simple survey, and then asking for donations). Most effective when initial request is
highly involving (demanding cognitive operations, active self-presentation, or both)
, Disrupt-then-reframe technique (DTR): persuasion technique that involves
disrupting a person’s initial thought process, and then reframing the information in a more
positive or persuasive way. (e.g., do you want to donate 3€? It is less than a cup of coffee,
right?)
Stage 2: Depletion-induced mindlessness affects compliance through reliance on
heuristics
When people experience a state of mental depletion, they become more likely to
comply with requests based on simple heuristics, rather than engaging in more deliberate
and analytical decision-making processes. For example, a person who is mentally depleted
might be more likely to comply with a request simply because the requester is an authority
figure, without considering the merits of the request itself.
The depletion-induced mindlessness stage can be especially relevant in situations
where compliance is sought through repeated requests or in situations where people are
already feeling overwhelmed and depleted, such as in a sales or marketing context.
How can we explain automatic, mindless compliance in a social influence situation?
Heuristic, peripheral processing: type of information processing that relies on
mental shortcuts or rules of thumb, rather than on careful analysis or reasoning. It
involves making quick and efficient judgement based on easily accessible
information, rather than engaging in detailed analysis of all available information.
Peripheral processing involves being influenced by cues that are peripheral to the
actual content of the persuasive message, such as the attractiveness of the person
delivering the message or the emotional appeal of the message.
Social influence techniques
Sequential request techniques:
o Foot-in-the-door – heuristic principle of consistency
o Door-in-the-face: persuasive technique that involves making a large initial
request that is likely to be rejected, followed by a small one, more reasonable
request (e.g., sales man asks for the purchase of a very expensive item,
knowing the costumer will disagree with the purchase, and then the sales man
will offer a lower-priced alternative or a free trial offer) – heuristic principle
of reciprocity
o Lowball: persuasive technique that involver offering an initial deal or offer
that seems very attractive or appealing, but then changing the terms of the
offer after the person has agreed to it (e.g., a car salesperson might offer a
costumer a low price on a car, but then reveal that the price does not include
certain features that the costumer wants, or that there are additional fees that
were not mentioned initially)
o Disrupt-then-reframe – heuristic principle of reciprocity
