Authority in the Art and Science of Persuasion

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Table of Contents

Examples
The Relevance of the Principles
Criteria for Authoritative Persuasion
Developing the Skill of Persuasion
Ethical Difficulties
Using Authority in Life
Conclusion
References

Although CEOs and politicians have influence, many people are not even able to express their opinions correctly. It is enough to imagine a meeting of employees, where most of the participants are directors of different departments. If there was a middle manager among them, it is unlikely that the top management would listen to his advice. However, effective interaction with other people is a prerequisite for success in any activity. In this case, the person should be able to convince others of the correctness of their ideas. According to Cialdini (2001), there are six primary forms of persuasion, but this essay will talk about the authoritative impact. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the methods of authoritative persuasion as a lever for decision-making.

Examples

Confidence in goods is determined by the extent to which the consumer is willing to trust the person who is an advertiser. A high level of trust is induced by those who have authority. Compare two advertisements: an older adult advertises a cure for joint pain, or a doctor looks confidently into the camera and talks about the benefits of the medicine with the corresponding uniformed doctor (see fig. 1). There is literature showing that the second option is preferable to advertising (Williams & Harkins, 2017). When a potential consumer looks at a specialist, he or she has no questions about the reliability of the drug.

Fig. 1. “9 steps to get awesome patient reviews and boost your online reputation.” Healthcare Marketing Solutions, n.d.

Alternatively, it is often the case that marketers invite a well-known person to advertise a product (see fig. 2). Looking at such an advertising poster, the buyer will feel the confidence and charm of the actor and then associate these features with perfume aroma. Such a connection will make a person think that he does not buy the usual perfume, but the fragrance that makes him more courageous.

Fig. 2. ” Brad Pitt photographed by Joe Wright ” Chanel., n.d.

However, the method of authority is also used in other areas. Look at the work of Kazimir Malevich, “Black Square” (see fig. 3). It is a black square on a white background, which can draw any student. However, it is Malevich Square that deserves public recognition because the creator of the painting is an outstanding artist. This is how the subconscious influence of authority is manifested.

Fig. 3. ” Kasimir Malevich. Black Square”. The State Hermitage Museum, n.d.

The Relevance of the Principles

Authoritative induces people to perceive the information coming from the authority, not critical, and the primary mechanism of management is persuasion. Research shows that the most successful way to find information of any kind is when an authoritative source tells us where to look for data (Wang, Liu, Mandal, & Shah, 2018). But this can be dangerous for society, especially when the authority is in power. Sometimes it is enough for a politician to instill destructive ideas in the masses, and under the influence of beliefs, people will do what is atypical for society.

Criteria for Authoritative Persuasion

Undoubtedly, the success of an authoritative belief is determined not only by the personal qualities of the object but also by the target audience to which the impact is directed. Research has shown that the influence of an authoritative belief is higher on the collective than on the individual (Orji, 2016). Besides, the audience should be prepared at an emotional level. The merits of same-sex marriage or increased military funding should not be rationally discussed with those who do not support such ideas.

Developing the Skill of Persuasion

It is worth noting that if there are appropriate personal qualities, the formation of authority goes by itself. However, some people are not gifted with such qualities at birth. Within the framework of this work, it makes sense to outline concrete steps to improve the skills of persuasion. We will try to develop a plan to increase persuasiveness, which will help to become a more influential figure in many situations.

First, this skill requires careful self-reflection and reflection. These techniques include a deep understanding of one’s own personal and professional qualities and an assessment of their significance and attractiveness to others. It is necessary to understand that the public will not pay attention to the doubtful lecturer, let alone follow his speaker. It is essential to train the inner perseverance to be a more confident person (Williams et al., 2017). A self-confident person always looks convincing in the eyes of the public.

The second step is the analysis of the audience to be addressed. It is essential to assess how the audience perceives their identity. As an example, the actions of a political leader can be considered. If the authorities are going to use manipulation linked to public sentiment to lobby their interests, they need to understand the difficulties faced by citizens daily. If the country has a problem with the quality of its motor road, it can be used as an electoral speech. Also, to interact effectively, it is best to create a partnership atmosphere so that the public can trust the authorities and thus follow their advice.

Also, if there is a need to convince the public of any decision, it is necessary to design a special environment. This can be achieved by indicating the acute urgency of the proposed solution. Besides, it is possible to work on revealing negative aspects of offered counterarguments or the creation of an artificial shortage of resources or time. However, in this case, the public may face the insincerity of the speaker, so it is essential to remain open and honest.

Ethical Difficulties

Manipulation of public opinion through authoritative influence is directly linked to ethical issues. When marketers intentionally dress an actor in a medical form, they realize that they achieve the effect of increasing sales in this way. In this case, the method can be justified by public health policy. In addition, the source of information bears some responsibility for the actions of the public represented by the collective or individual listener (Orji, 2016). Ethical standards of management should include democracy and employee support. Often influential sources, such as politicians or opinion leaders, ignore the ethical side of authority to achieve their goals. This situation should be prevented in advance to avoid abuse of power.

Using Authority in Life

Understanding how the mechanism of authoritative influence works, it is possible to build profitable relationships with colleagues and business partners. Convincing them of the correctness of the decision, you can achieve a successful career and professional growth (Cialdini, 2001). For academic purposes, the use of reference to authority is a prerequisite to speeches and scientific articles. Also, knowledge of methods of persuasion through the authorities entails understanding the mechanisms of advertising, which allows you to objectively assess the need to purchase the advertised product or service.

Conclusion

Persuasion can be achieved in various ways, one of which is authority. A technique of persuasion through authority can be acquired, and it has been highlighted above how this can be done. But it should be recognized that an authoritative belief is closely linked to ethical difficulties, including corruption. Based on the above, it is essential to understand how persuasion works. Thanks to this, a person can become a more influential figure and an objective consumer, but not a victim of manipulation.

References

Cialdini, R. B. (2001). Harnessing the science of persuasion. Harvard Business Review, 79(9), 72-81.

Orji, R. (2016). Persuasion and culture: individualism-collectivism and susceptibility to influence strategies. In PPT@ Persuasive (pp. 30-39). Montreal, Canada: McGill University.

Wang, Y., Liu, J., Mandal, S., & Shah, C. (2018). Persuasion by peer or expert for web search. In companion of the 2018 ACM conference on computer supported cooperative work and social computing (pp. 225-228). Jersey City, NJ: ACM.

Williams, K. D., & Harkins, S. G. (2017). The Future of Social Influence in Social Psychology. In Stephen G. Harkins, Kipling D. Williams, and Jerry Burger (Eds.),

(Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Influence, (p. 433). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

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