Citation

Cialdini RB. Anal. Soc. Issues Public Policy 2011; 11(1): 27-30.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1530-2415.2010.01227.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Because of the relatively recent application of scientific methods to the study of persuasion effects--and the consequent replicability of those effects--the relationship between governments and students of persuasion has changed radically. As is clear from Sara King's (2010) article, the U.S. government seeks a beneficial relationship. Not so clear is the proper role of the persuasion scientist in that relationship. I advocate one such role, that of audience-empowering educator. Therein, the goal is not to use persuasion to strengthen the desired message artificially but to convince desired audiences to be open to processing the message fully.

Language: en