Monday, January 9, 2012

Coercive Influence

IS SOMEONE TRYING TO ETHICALLY OR UNETHICALLY INFLUENCE YOU? CHECK OUT THE INFLUENCE CONTINUUM by Margaret Singer.

The following Influence Continuum shows you the method and modes of various influence techniques as a vertical continuum. Underneath each method, you will find the various descending techniques for that section.
At the top of the Influence Continuum you will find choice respecting tactics that are educative and therapeutic and have their emphasis on the message. In the middle you will find compliance gaining techniques that are persuasive and manipulative and have their emphasis on gaining a response.
At the bottom of the continuum you will find destructive controlling techniques designed to isolate you from normal social supports and reality testing. As your review the continuum try to remember people  or organizations (friends, bosses, teachers, family, corporate tactics, etc.) you liked and disliked that have been applied to you from the various sections of the influence continuum. This is a powerful quick tool to help you choose how you are influenced and to identify unethical or illegal types of personal, corporate or governmental influence to which you have been subjected.

Method Of Influence
Mode of Influence: Choice-respecting (emphasis on message)
Educative/Therapeutic:

Techniques:
Reflection
Clarification
Discussion
Information Giving
Directed Questioning
Creative Expression
Advisory/Therapeutic
Commenting on Problem or alternatives
Suggesting Ideas
Recommending solutions
Rational argument (message oriented)
Hypnosis (some forms)

Mode of Influence: Compliance-Gaining (emphasis on response)
Persuasive/Manipulative Rational Argument:

Compliance oriented
Emotional appeals
Compliance tactics: consistency, reciprocation, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity (see Cialdini. 1985)
Hypnosis (some forms)

Controlling/Destructive Isolation from social supports: 

Selective reward/punishment
Denigration of self and of critical thinking
Dissociative states to suppress doubt and critical thinking
Alternation of harshness/threats and leniency/love
Control-oriented guilt induction
Active promotion of dependency
Debilitation
Physical restraint/punishment
Pressured public confessions
Originally published at FACTNet.org. Used with permission.

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