Guest guest Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Very interesting. It is similar to how opinion polls can be rigged to get the results one wants by structuring the questions and in what order they are presented. Aside from that, a LOT of this goes on. Marketing departments have spent vast sums of money learning what cues to use in their commercials to best sell a product. The words used in most commercials or other ads are minimal in the selling point. It is the visuals, including very subtle things, that matter. Just one simple example: have you ever noticed that toy commercials almost never show a child alone playing with a toy? They almost always have friends over who are excited and happy and certainly not fighting over the new toy nor get bored with it. Sometimes you do see a lone child with a toy, usually some kind of surrogate friend robot thing. However, even there, they edit out the mechanical noises it makes and general creepiness of them. There is a lot to it, but just pay attention to the things that are happening in the ad and compare it to what is being sold. Toys = fun, insurance = trust and stability. Politics is its own whole brand of mind hacking. Not only can you trust very little of what they say, but very little of what you see. Literally everything is focus group tested or otherwise analyzed to project just the right image. This can be just the right assemblage of a suit and tie for just the right group, even hair color and style can change for the occasion. Then there is the corruption of rhetoric where they grab the showman aspect and run with it. This not only what they say but how they say it and the facial expressions and gestures they use to emphasize the words. Indeed, the gestures and expressions can be much more powerful than the words themselves. Basically, politics is all about creating a mob, taking a bunch of individuals and turning them into a unthinking more or less homogenous single entity who's emotional whims can be directed (most of the time though mobs are highly unstable). The point of all of this is to make people blank out and stop thinking and start emoting. Emotions are more powerful than rational thought and MUCH easier to manipulate. I'll suggest two books along these lines. The first is Gustave Le Bon's The Crowd: The Study of the Popular Mind. This one was written back in the 1850's but its analysis is still valid. He looks at not just street mobs but also juries and parliaments as well. It can be found online for free. The second is called "The Art of Seduction" by Greene. This book, which I've only read part of, isn't about sexual seduction, though there is some of that. It is much more, talking about the types of seducers and how they work against individuals to nations. It outlines the four steps, including creating confusion and anxiety to offering the solution. The library should have it or be able to get it. I've been meaning to get back to this one so I might bump it up my reading list, once I find it again. I found this interesting and have to wonder just how much this type of influencing goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Really thought provoking, will need to consider this concept; really good example!rl 'My cat Rusty is a servant of the Living God....'adapted from a poem by SmartTo: FAMSecretSociety Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 4:46:46 AMSubject: Just words? I am aware that how things are worded can have an influence over people, I recently came across quite a good example of such in a book I am reading. The book is 'Mind Hacks' by Stafford & Webb (I think I have mentioned it before). This particular example is on p.247. Below are two different versions of the same problem, but worded different. Version 1. A lethal disease is spreading through the city of which you are mayor. it is expected to kill 600 people. Your chief medical adviser tells you that there is a choice between two treatment plans. The first strategy will definitely save 200 people, whereas the second strategy has a one-third chance of saving 600 people and a two-thirds chance of saving no one. Which strategy do you choose? Version 2. A lethal disease is spreading through the city of which you are mayor. It is expected to kill 600 people. Your chief medical adviser tells you that there is a choice between two treatment plans. The first strategy will definintely kill 400 people, whereas the second strategy has a one-third chance that nobody will die and a two-thirds chance that 600 people will die. According to the book the second version makes it seem that you are starting out in a losing position and that people are more likely to take risks if they feel they are in a losing position to begin with. I found this interesting and have to wonder just how much this type of influencing goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2011 Report Share Posted October 24, 2011 Yep, I've noticed the thing with advertising. I've often said to my son, just because the advert shows the child with lots of friends doesn't mean if you buy that product/toy you'll suddenly get lots of friends. I read a book called 'Decoding Advertisements' by Judith on many years back which was interesting. I'll probably try and have a look at the two books you mentioned, they sound interesting too :-) > > Very interesting. It is similar to how opinion polls can be rigged to get > the results one wants by structuring the questions and in what order they > are presented. > > Aside from that, a LOT of this goes on. Marketing departments have spent > vast sums of money learning what cues to use in their commercials to best > sell a product. The words used in most commercials or other ads are minimal in > the selling point. It is the visuals, including very subtle things, that > matter. Just one simple example: have you ever noticed that toy commercials > almost never show a child alone playing with a toy? They almost always have > friends over who are excited and happy and certainly not fighting over the > new toy nor get bored with it. Sometimes you do see a lone child with a > toy, usually some kind of surrogate friend robot thing. However, even there, > they edit out the mechanical noises it makes and general creepiness of > them. > > There is a lot to it, but just pay attention to the things that are > happening in the ad and compare it to what is being sold. Toys = fun, insurance = > trust and stability. > > Politics is its own whole brand of mind hacking. Not only can you trust > very little of what they say, but very little of what you see. Literally > everything is focus group tested or otherwise analyzed to project just the right > image. This can be just the right assemblage of a suit and tie for just > the right group, even hair color and style can change for the occasion. Then > there is the corruption of rhetoric where they grab the showman aspect and > run with it. This not only what they say but how they say it and the facial > expressions and gestures they use to emphasize the words. Indeed, the > gestures and expressions can be much more powerful than the words themselves. > Basically, politics is all about creating a mob, taking a bunch of > individuals and turning them into a unthinking more or less homogenous single > entity who's emotional whims can be directed (most of the time though mobs are > highly unstable). > > The point of all of this is to make people blank out and stop thinking and > start emoting. Emotions are more powerful than rational thought and MUCH > easier to manipulate. > > I'll suggest two books along these lines. > > The first is Gustave Le Bon's The Crowd: The Study of the Popular Mind. > This one was written back in the 1850's but its analysis is still valid. He > looks at not just street mobs but also juries and parliaments as well. It > can be found online for free. > > The second is called " The Art of Seduction " by Greene. This book, > which I've only read part of, isn't about sexual seduction, though there is > some of that. It is much more, talking about the types of seducers and how > they work against individuals to nations. It outlines the four steps, > including creating confusion and anxiety to offering the solution. The library > should have it or be able to get it. I've been meaning to get back to this > one so I might bump it up my reading list, once I find it again. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2011 Report Share Posted October 24, 2011 I've started reading The Art of Seduction. It says that these principles are in strong use today from the soft-sell of advertizing to politics. I'll let you know what I think when I finish it. Another one that I found in my collection is "Covert Persuasion" by Hogan. I've read about half of this one going by the bookmark in it, but I don't remember it. Finding it did remind me that I bought this one and "Art" around the time of the marketing class I took. "Covert" says in the blurb that it covers the use of words and setting and such to change people's minds and behavior toward buying, etc. I'll bump that one up the list as well. As I've said, Le Bon's book is free on the internet. I'm also going to get a copy of "Mind Hacks." I'll probably try and have a look at the two books you mentioned, they sound interesting too :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.