Persuasion
What is Persuasion?
Persuasion is the process of influencing someone’s attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors through communication, reasoning, or emotional appeal. It involves guiding people toward a specific decision or action—often without force—by using psychological techniques such as credibility, social proof, or scarcity. Persuasion is widely used in fields like marketing, politics, and behavioral science to shape how people think and act.
The Basic Idea
Needing to pick up a new book, you head to the mall. You’ve been trying to save money lately, so you’re determined to only shop for the book and not browse the other stores. However, when you get to the mall, a poster in front of a candle store catches your eye. The poster depicts two friends laughing and sipping wine, surrounded by soft candlelight. The slogan underneath reads: “Give the gift of connection.” Although a candle wasn’t on your shopping list, you rationalize that it’s your friend Sophie’s birthday next month and decide to pop into the store for a quick moment.
As you look for the candle featured in the poster, you notice a sign on a different display that says “Best Seller.” You take a sniff, and it smells amazing—notes of cinnamon and vanilla. Perhaps you’ll buy a treat for yourself, too—after all, it would make cozying up on the couch with your new book even better! You grab the other candle for Sophie and head to the cash register. Once there, the sales associate mentions to you that for a limited time only, when you buy two candles, you can get a third at half price. According to girl math, getting a third candle for such a great deal would mean that you’re saving money, right? You find a third candle and make your purchase. As you leave the store, you wonder what just happened. You intended to only buy a book during this trip to the mall, yet you’ve spent $100 on candles and haven’t even stepped foot in the bookstore!
Everything about the candle store nudged you towards the purchase: the emotion-inducing poster, the social proof that accompanied the sign “Best Seller,” and the feeling that you’re getting a deal by buying a third candle. This is persuasion in action—a powerful force that impacts the way we behave and the decisions we make. There are myriad methods—both overt and covert—by which individuals, organizations, and marketers use persuasion to shape our choices, often without us even realizing it.
“Persuasion is often more effectual than force.”
— Aesop, an ancient Greek storyteller who is famously known for telling fables1
About the Author
Emilie Rose Jones
Emilie currently works in Marketing & Communications for a non-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario. She completed her Masters of English Literature at UBC in 2021, where she focused on Indigenous and Canadian Literature. Emilie has a passion for writing and behavioural psychology and is always looking for opportunities to make knowledge more accessible.
