Decision Making and Persuasion

Decision Making and Persuasion

(Decision Making and Persuasion)

Decision Making involves selecting the best course of action among alternatives. It requires identifying options, evaluating their potential outcomes, and considering both rational analysis and emotional responses. Effective decision making balances intuition and structured methods like SWOT analysis or decision matrices, aiming for choices that maximize benefits and minimize risks. It is influenced by cognitive biases, such as overconfidence or anchoring, which can skew perceptions and judgments.

Persuasion is the art of influencing others’ attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. It relies on ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical argument). Persuasion strategies include using compelling narratives, presenting evidence, and addressing counterarguments. Understanding the audience’s values and motivations is crucial. Techniques like reciprocity, commitment, social proof, and authority, identified by psychologist Robert Cialdini, enhance persuasive efforts.

In practice, decision making and persuasion intersect frequently. Leaders must persuade stakeholders to support decisions, while individuals often need to convince others to adopt their choices. Mastery of both skills enables effective leadership, successful negotiations, and the ability to drive change, making them essential for personal and professional growth.

APA format.  400 word minimum.

Short Answer Questions

1.  You are in the market for a new car and think you would like to own a Saab.  According to research reported by Richard Nisbett and his associates, which of the following would be most likely to influence your decision?

a.         television commercials for Saab that are both informative and emotionally appealing.

b.         print ads for Saab that are primarily informative.

c.          hearing about the huge repair bills a neighbor’s sister had on her Saab.

d.         a high ranking made by Consumer Reports based on a sample of 75,000 miles of testing.

Why is this the best answer and what might explain this influence?

2.  McAlister’s field experiment was successful in helping seventh-graders resist peer pressure to smoke cigarettes.  What did his strategy teach students to do that proved effective?

3. Drawing on laboratory research conducted by Berkowitz, Phillips tested the “modeling of aggression” hypothesis.  What did Phillips’ data indicate?

4.  Under what circumstance are you persuaded by an argument from a peer or an associate in your life?  Specifically, what are the things that they may do to increase your tendency to listen to their argument and what things should exist before you take action on their advice?

5.  In general, how successful are obvious attempts to persuade?  Summarize one piece of research that supports the notions that direct efforts to persuade are effective, and one that indicated that such direct efforts are relatively ineffective.

 
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