1. Introduction
Much has been written on which types of people have more influence, are more successful negotiators and the techniques related to persuasion. However, this assumes that most people have the ability to enter a situation and accurately judge their audiences and respond accordingly to cues and effectively use numerous appropriate persuasion techniques. The ongoing hypotheses in the literature is that all people are equal when it comes to persuasion, whereas in practice we may use how much somebody cares about when it is one friend and using social pressure on another friend depending on that friend’s characteristics. Very little research has been done on how the identity of the audience changes their responsiveness to different persuasion techniques. The authors of this paper examine how the responsiveness to Cialdini’s six persuasion techniques varies by gender, cultural background and personality type. Each of the techniques is briefly described in the table below. Our results show that there are indeed differences in responsiveness to techniques depending on demographic and personality differences.
2. Theoretical background
2.1 Personality and persuasion
2.1.1 Five-factor model of personality
Fifty years ago, Tupes and Christal (1961) established a five-factor model of personal traits (often termed the Big Five) consisting of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness.2 Today, this framework is widely used to describe the most important aspects of personalities.3 Several studies showed that the five traits are stable over time and can be applied across cultures.4 Table 2 lists the most representative attributes of the extremes for each of the five factors.
2.1.2 Personality and persuasibility
Already before the five-factor personality model was created, Hovland et al. (1953) and Janis et al. (1959) studied personality factors related to persuasibility. In their Yale studies, the authors tested selected personal characteristics such as self esteem, richness of fantasy and interpersonal aggressiveness with regards to susceptibility to persuasion.7 These studies triggered further persuasion research which expanded to personal attributes such as anxiety, dogmatism and need for cognition.8 The following paragraphs summarize major findings regarding the five personality traits’ susceptibility to persuasion.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Theoretical background
- 2.1 Personality and persuasion
- 2.1.1 Five-factor model of personality
- 2.1.2 Personality and persuasibility
- 2.1.2.1 Neuroticism
- 2.1.2.2 Extraversion
- 2.1.2.3 Openness to experience
- 2.1.2.4 Agreeableness
- 2.1.2.5 Conscientiousness
- 2.2 Gender and persuasion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper investigates how individual responsiveness to Cialdini's six principles of persuasion varies based on gender, cultural background, and personality type. It aims to challenge the assumption of equal persuasibility across individuals, exploring the influence of individual differences on susceptibility to persuasive techniques.
- The impact of personality traits (Big Five model) on persuasibility.
- The relationship between gender and susceptibility to different persuasion techniques.
- The influence of cultural background on responsiveness to persuasion.
- Examination of Cialdini's six principles of persuasion and their effectiveness across different demographics.
- Analysis of existing research on personality, gender, and persuasion.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the research gap concerning the influence of individual differences on responsiveness to persuasion techniques. It highlights the existing assumption of equal persuasibility and introduces the study's objective: to examine how susceptibility to Cialdini's six persuasion principles varies according to gender, cultural background, and personality type. The chapter briefly summarizes Cialdini's six principles (liking, reciprocity, social validation, consistency, authority, scarcity) and foreshadows the findings indicating significant differences in responsiveness based on individual factors.
2. Theoretical background: This chapter provides a comprehensive review of existing literature on personality, gender, and their relationships with persuasion. Section 2.1 delves into the five-factor model of personality (Big Five), exploring the connection between each trait (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness) and persuasibility. It analyzes numerous studies, noting inconsistencies and ambiguities in the research regarding specific traits and their effect on susceptibility to persuasion. Section 2.2 briefly touches upon the existing research examining the relationship between gender and influence, highlighting the scarcity of studies investigating which persuasion techniques women are more prone to use or are more susceptible to. The chapter lays the theoretical groundwork for the study's empirical investigation, setting the stage for the analysis of how personality and gender interact with different persuasion techniques.
Keywords
Persuasion, Cialdini's six principles of persuasion, personality traits (Big Five), gender, culture, persuasibility, influence, social influence, negotiation, self-esteem, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism.
Frequently Asked Questions: Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the purpose of this document?
This document provides a comprehensive overview of a research paper investigating how individual differences (gender, cultural background, personality) affect responsiveness to persuasion techniques. It includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
What are the key themes explored in the research paper?
The research paper explores the impact of personality traits (using the Big Five model), gender, and cultural background on susceptibility to persuasion. It specifically examines how Cialdini's six principles of persuasion (liking, reciprocity, social validation, consistency, authority, scarcity) work across different demographics.
What is the methodology of the research paper?
The methodology isn't explicitly detailed in this preview, but the objectives indicate an investigation into how susceptibility to Cialdini's six principles varies based on individual factors. This likely involves analyzing existing research and potentially conducting new empirical studies.
What is Cialdini's six principles of persuasion?
The preview mentions Cialdini's six principles of persuasion, but doesn't explicitly list them. Further research on Cialdini's work is needed to understand these principles. They are a core element of the research paper's analysis.
Which personality model is used in this research?
The research uses the Big Five personality model (also known as the five-factor model), analyzing how each trait (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness) relates to persuasibility.
How does gender influence persuasibility, according to the preview?
The preview highlights a lack of research on which persuasion techniques women are more prone to use or are more susceptible to. The research aims to address this gap by investigating the relationship between gender and susceptibility to different persuasion techniques.
What is the role of cultural background in the research?
The research considers the influence of cultural background on responsiveness to persuasion, acknowledging that cultural differences may affect how individuals respond to persuasive techniques.
What are the main findings foreshadowed in the preview?
The preview foreshadows that the research will likely reveal significant differences in responsiveness to persuasion based on individual factors (gender, cultural background, and personality).
What are the key chapters covered in the research paper?
The preview mentions an introduction, a theoretical background chapter (dividing personality and gender aspects of persuasion), and it implies further chapters analyzing the empirical data and conclusions.
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- Quote paper
- Robert Motzek (Author), Sanja Kos (Author), Niyati Gupta (Author), 2011, Susceptibility of personality traits, gender and culture to persuasion techniques, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/182225
