The psychology of persuasion, as told by an Ivy League professor | Jonah Berger for Big Think+
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Jonah Berger from the Wharton School explores the subtleties of language that can significantly influence people's behavior. By transforming actions into identities, such as shifting from 'help' to 'helper,' he demonstrates how this can boost compliance rates. Berger also emphasizes the power of confidence in communication, highlighting how linguistic certainty, as exemplified by figures like Trump, can make one more persuasive. He advises on reducing conversational fillers for a more impactful speech and encourages the use of recording and transcription to enhance one's language skills, asserting that effective communication is a learnable science.
Takeaways
- 🗣️ The science of language can significantly enhance communication effectiveness, whether in sales, management, or personal interactions.
- 🔄 Subtle changes in language, like adding 'er' to a word, can increase the likelihood of compliance by up to 50%.
- 👥 Reframing requests by assigning an identity ('helper', 'leader') rather than just asking for an action can make people more responsive.
- 💡 People are more inclined to embrace actions when they align with their perceived identity, making identity-related language powerful.
- 🗳️ A single letter difference, like 'vote' vs. 'voter', can increase voter turnout by 15%, highlighting the impact of identity in language.
- 📈 Confidence in communication, demonstrated through linguistic certainty, makes a speaker more persuasive.
- 🔑 Using definitive language ('It's obvious', 'everyone agrees') can convey confidence and increase the persuasiveness of a message.
- 🚫 Filler words like 'um' and 'uh' can undermine credibility; effective speakers often pause instead.
- 🎥 Recording and transcribing one's speech can be a painful but effective way to improve communication by identifying and reducing fillers.
- 🧠 Effective communication is not innate; it's based on learnable science and techniques that can be mastered.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the research discussed in the transcript?
-The research focuses on understanding the science of language and how subtle shifts in wording can significantly impact people's willingness to comply with requests.
Who is Jonah Berger and what is his role in the context of the transcript?
-Jonah Berger is a professor at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a bestselling author of 'Magic Words.' He discusses the impact of language on persuasion and communication effectiveness.
What was the experiment conducted in a local preschool as mentioned in the transcript?
-The experiment involved asking children to clean up a messy classroom. Half of the kids were asked for help, while the other half were asked to be 'helpers.' The slight change in wording led to a 50% increase in compliance.
How does the transcript explain the difference between 'help' and 'helper' in terms of persuasion?
-The transcript explains that turning actions into identities, such as asking someone to be a 'helper' instead of just asking for 'help,' can make people more likely to engage in the desired action because it appeals to their sense of identity.
What is the significance of the word 'voter' compared to 'vote' as discussed in the transcript?
-The transcript suggests that using the word 'voter' instead of 'vote' can increase the likelihood of people turning out at the polls by 15% because it frames the action as part of someone's identity.
According to the transcript, what is the role of confidence in effective communication?
-Confidence, particularly conveyed through linguistic certainty, makes a speaker more persuasive. It signals to the audience that the speaker is assured of their message, which can lead to increased compliance.
How does the transcript describe the use of fillers like 'um' and 'uh' in speech?
-The transcript indicates that using fillers can make a speaker seem uncertain or unprepared, which may cause the audience to be less likely to listen or take the speaker seriously.
What advice does the transcript give for overcoming the use of fillers in speech?
-The transcript suggests two methods: pausing instead of using fillers, and recording and transcribing one's speech to become aware of and reduce filler usage.
What is the transcript's stance on whether effective communication is an innate ability?
-The transcript suggests that effective communication is not an innate ability but rather something that can be learned and improved through understanding the science behind language.
How does the transcript use the example of a recent U.S. President to illustrate linguistic certainty?
-The transcript uses the example of a recent U.S. President, who speaks with confidence and certainty, using definitive language to persuade his audience, as a demonstration of the power of linguistic certainty in communication.
Outlines
🗣️ The Power of Language in Persuasion
This paragraph introduces the concept of using language effectively to persuade others, whether in sales, leadership, or personal interactions. Jonah Berger, a professor at Wharton School and author of 'Magic Words,' explains that subtle changes in language can significantly impact people's willingness to comply. He cites a study where preschool children were more likely to help clean up when asked to 'be a helper' rather than just 'help.' Berger emphasizes turning actions into identities to make people more likely to engage in desired behaviors. Additionally, he discusses the importance of confidence in communication, using examples like charismatic individuals and political figures who use linguistic certainty to be persuasive.
🎤 Enhancing Communication Skills
This paragraph focuses on improving communication skills by avoiding fillers like 'um' and 'uh' and instead using pauses to gather thoughts. It suggests recording and transcribing one's speech to identify and reduce the use of fillers. The paragraph also touches on the idea that effective communication is not innate but can be learned through understanding the science behind language. It encourages the practice of pausing and self-assessment to enhance persuasiveness and memorability in speech.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Persuasion
💡Identity
💡Linguistic Certainty
💡Fillers
💡Charisma
💡Transformational Leadership
💡Science of Language
💡Actions vs. Identities
💡Confidence
💡Record and Reflect
Highlights
Understanding the science of language can make communication more effective.
Subtle shifts in language can significantly impact people's responses.
Adding 'er' to a word can increase the likelihood of compliance by 50%.
The difference between 'help' and 'helper' is minimal but impactful.
Describing actions as identities can make traits seem more persistent.
Charismatic individuals often speak with confidence, which makes them persuasive.
Linguistic certainty, such as using definites, can increase persuasiveness.
Using fillers like 'um' and 'uh' can make speakers seem less certain.
Pausing instead of using fillers can improve the effectiveness of communication.
Recording and transcribing one's speech can help identify and reduce fillers.
Effective communication is not just innate; it can be learned and improved.
The science behind language can be applied to enhance its effectiveness.
Turning actions into identities can increase the likelihood of desired behaviors.
Asking someone to 'be' something rather than 'do' something can be more effective.
Confidence in speech, demonstrated through linguistic certainty, is key to persuasion.
Fillers can undermine the persuasiveness of a speaker.
Great speakers often use pauses to gather thoughts instead of fillers.
Self-awareness of language use is crucial for becoming a more persuasive communicator.
Transcripts
- A number of years ago, some researchers were interested
in what gets people to say, yes,
- [Actor] Yes. - [Actress] Yes.
- [Actor] Yes, drill sergeant!
- Whether we're salespeople, whether we're bosses,
or even in our own personal lives,
we're trying to get other people to do something.
And so, how can we be more effective at doing that?
If you understand the science of language,
you can communicate much more effectively.
I'm Jonah Berger, I'm a professor at The Wharton School
at the University of Pennsylvania
and bestselling author of "Magic Words."
(typewriter clicking)
(upbeat piano music)
The most fascinating thing I've found
from the work that we and others have done
is that subtle shifts can have such a big impact.
Adding a couple letters to the end of a word
can increase the likelihood
that other people do what you ask them.
So, some researchers a couple years ago
went to a local preschool,
and they asked four or five-year-old kids
to clean up a messy classroom.
The floor was covered in crayons and toys and books,
and they asked the kids for help cleaning up.
For some of the kids,
they used a normal approach we might use.
They said, "Hey, can you help clean up?"
But for the second half of the kids,
they tried a slightly different strategy.
They asked them, "Would you mind being a helper
and cleaning up the classroom?"
Now, the difference between asking for help
and asking for someone to be a helper
is infinitesimally small.
It's adding two letters at the end of the word help.
Yet, those two letters led to about a 50% increase
in people's likelihood of helping.
Again, the difference between vote and voter
is infinitesimally small, just one letter in this case.
Yet, that one letter led to about a 15% increase
in people's likelihood of turning out at the polls.
What's the difference between help and helper
and vote and voter?
Why might one be more effective than the other?
It turns out it comes down
to the difference between actions and identities.
We all want to see ourselves as smart and competent
and intelligent in a variety of different things.
So, rather than describing someone as hardworking,
describing them as a hard worker,
will make that trait seem more persistent
and more likely to last.
Rather than asking people to lead more,
telling them, "Can you be a leader?"
Rather than ask them to innovate, "Can you be an innovator?"
By turning actions into identities,
we can make people much more likely
to engage in those desired actions.
Another way to get people to listen
is by showing confidence.
All of us know someone in our lives
that's particularly charismatic.
When they open their mouths, whether to tell stories
or make presentations, everybody listens.
(suspenseful music)
How do they do it?
How are they so charismatic?
What makes them so effective as communicators?
It turns out some insight into that question
can come from a recent President of the United States.
He's done a great job, whether you like him or hate him,
of convincing his audience to listen and take action on it.
- [Trump] We're going to win in Iowa.
We're going to win these caucuses at levels
that people haven't seen before.
You know, we set the record last time.
We're going to set it again, bigger and better.
And next November, we're going to
very simply make America great again, right?
- The thing that he's doing is the same thing
that transformational leaders do.
Is the same thing that great salespeople do.
Is the same thing that noteworthy entrepreneurs do.
Trump speaks with a great deal of confidence.
One way he communicates that confidence
is what's called linguistic certainty.
He communicates using certain language.
He speaks in fact, with a lot of
what some people might call definites -
"It's obvious," "everyone agrees," "the answer is clear" -
regardless of whether it's true.
- [Trump] We can build any city at any time,
and we can build it better than anyone.
You know it, I know it, everybody knows it.
- Not surprisingly, this certainty
makes him more persuasive.
And so, the language of confidence
can increase the likelihood
that other people do what you ask them.
A couple years ago, I was working with a coaching client
that was trying to become a more effective salesperson.
What they were saying when they were pitching their ideas,
were full of ums and uhs,
and even likes from time to time -
what people might call fillers.
- [Musk] Um, like free speech used to be
uh, a left or liberal value.
And, and, and yet we, we see uh from, you know,
the in quotes left uh a desire to actually censor
um and uh that, that seems crazy.
- We use fillers all the time.
Even the best of us use fillers.
We use them to essentially buy conversational time.
But if we're saying, um and uh all the time,
it makes us seem like we don't know what we want to say,
which leads our audience to be less likely to listen to us.
And so, what do we do about this?
How do we overcome these fillers?
First, just try pausing instead.
We all need time to think, but great speakers often pause
rather than filling in those blanks with ums or uhs.
- [Obama] I'm here today because
this is one of those pivotal moments when
every one of us
as citizens of the United States
need to determine
just who it is that we are.
Just what it is that we stand for.
- The second thing I would say - it's really painful to do,
but I've done it and it's worth trying -
just record yourself talking.
Record that audio, get it transcribed,
and look at what you're saying.
It's going to be painful.
It's painful listening to ourselves,
even more painful reading.
But by seeing how we use language,
we can be more persuasive and more memorable.
While we might think that some people
are just naturally good at this, and others aren't,
it's actually not something you're born with.
The good news is it's not random,
it's not luck, and it's not chance.
There's a science behind how language works
and how we can use it more effectively.
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