Answers For [Recent Tests- VOL] - The power of persuasion

Answers and detail explain for [Recent Tests- VOL] - The power of persuasion

Answer Table

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. B

5. C

6. H

7. A

8. I

9. B

10. E

11. NOT GIVEN

12. YES

13. NO

14. NO

Explain

[Recent Tests- VOL] - The power of persuasion

A new Zealand restaurateur assesses some recent research from the USA

1Some scientists peer at things through high-powered telescopes, others tempt rats through mazes, or mix bubbling fluids in glass beakers. Then there is Robert Cialdini, whose unorthodox research involves such mundane items as towels and chocolates. Nonetheless, Cialdini believes he is discovering important insights into how society works, because he is conducting research into why some people are more persuasive than others.

Cialdini hopes that, by applying a little science, we should all be able to get our own way more often. 2This is in part a personal quest with its origins in his own experience: Cialdini claims that for his whole life he has been easy prey for salespeople and fundraisers who have managed to persuade him to buy things he did not want or give to charities he had never heard of.

experiments on the psychology of persuasion were telling only a part of the story, 3Cialdini began to probe influence in the real world, enrolling in sales-training programmes. In this way, he believes he learned first hand a great deal about how to sell automobiles from a car lot, insurance from an office, and even encyclopaedias door to door. Most recently his research has involved the now famous experiments with towels. Many hotels leave a little card in each bathroom asking guests to reuse towels and thus conserve water and reduce pollution. 4Cialdini and his colleagues wanted to test the relative effectiveness of different text on those cards. Could hotels best motivate their guests to co-operate simply because it would help save the planet, or were other factors more compelling?

To test this, the researchers redesigned the cards, replacing the environmental message with the simple (and truthful) statement that the majority of guests at the hotel had reused their towel at least once. 5Those guests who received this message were found to be 26% more likely to reuse their towel than those given the original message, and 74% more likely than those receiving no message at all.

This was just one study that has enabled Cialdini to identify his Six Principles of Persuasion. The phenomenon revealed by the towel experiment he calls "social proof": the idea that our decisions are influenced by what other people like us are doing. More perniciously, social proof is the force underpinning some people's anxiety not to be left behind by their neighbours, thus the desire for a bigger house or a faster car. A further principle, which he names "reciprocity", was tested in a restaurant by measuring how patrons would respond to after-dinner chocolates. When the chocolates were dropped individually in front of each diner, tips went up 14%. 6This is reciprocity in action: we want to return favours done to us, often without bothering to accurately calculate whether what we are giving is proportionate to what we have received.

Cialdini's research has established four more such principles. 'Scarcity' is the idea that people want more of things they can have less of, a notion that advertisers ruthlessly exploit-limit of four per customer" 7Parents can also make use of scarcity by telling their little ones that this is a very unusual chance so they should seize it immediately. The principle of 'authority' states that we trust people who know what they are talking about. 8Cialdini maintains that many professional don't display their credentials, fearing it is boastful or arrogant to publicise their expertise. 9The principle he labels 'consistency' suggests that we want to act in ways that are consistent with undertaking we have already made. For example, if you are soliciting charitable donations, first ask colleagues if they think they will sponsor you. Later, return with a sponsorship form to those who said yes and remind them of their earlier undertaking. The final principle is 'likeness': we are more easily persuaded by those who seem similar to ourselves. In one study, people were sent survey forms and asked to return them to a named researcher. 10When the researcher falsely identified herself (e.g Cynthia Johnson is sent a survey by Cindy Johansen'), surveys were twice as likely to be completed.

11Many of Cialdini's claims about persuasion are just that- highly persuasive-and I can readily see evidence for some of them in my own workplace. 12But Cialdini's experiments were conducted in the United States and I wonder how well all of his findings can be applied here in New Zealand or elsewhere around the world. 13For instance, I do understand the general principle of 'reciprocity' but cannot imagine New Zealand waiting staff using his cynical chocolate trick in their restaurants because the culture of tipping in this country is so different. But it is true that the way to a diner's heart is to give them something they are not expecting in the way of service and in this country reciprocation would more likely take the form of a return visit to the restaurant and not a tip. It may be that age is also a factor and that different generations would react differently to say, the 'consistency' principle. 14I suspect that younger people in this country would respond quite positively to this sort of approach, where as their parents might be put off by any hint of a hard sell. Perhaps in the end we must accept that some of us are simply born with more persuasion skills than others and that we have less control over such matters than Cialdini might like to think.

Question 1-5

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1What point is the writer making about Robert Cialdini in the first paragraph?

A. He wants to change the way society operates.

B. He uses a wide variety of research techniques.

C. He has an unconventional approach to this work.

D. He refuses to make use of animals in his experiments.

2What is the writer doing in the second paragraph?

A. identifying a motivation for the research

B. assessing on aspect of Cialdini's character

C. questioning Cialdini's scientific research techniques

D. applauding researchers who examine their own experience

3What are we told about Cialdini's research methodology?

A. It was conducted in a laboratory

B. It involved him taking courses of study.

C. It was focused on one particular product.

D. It was based on interviews with salespeople.

4What was Cialdini's research question for the towel experiment?

A. Is it more effective not to use a card?

B. Does the message make any difference?

C. Why is the threat of pollution so persuasive?

D. Can hotels be persuaded to provide more towels?

5The results of the towel experiment suggest that guests

A. were disinclined to tell the truth about towel use

B. preferred not to receive a message with their towels

C. were more receptive to messages about other guests

D. responded more positively to an environmental message

Questions 6-10

Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-J, below. White the correct letter, A-J, in boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet.

A. rare opportunity

B. previous commitments

C. generous response

D. true qualification

E. similar name

F. ruthless exploitation

G. social obligation

H. relative value

I. bad behavior

J. small favor

The six principles of persuasion

Cialdini's towel experiment demonstrated the principle he named ' social proof, which can result in competitive materialism. His research using chocolates suggests that people don't always assess the 6 (H) of transaction. A further principle recommends that advertisers and parents should claim that something is a 7 (A) in order to be more persuasive. The authority principle is often ignored when some professionals are concerned their actions might be considered 8 (I) He similarly suggests that people will give more to charity if they can be reminded of 9 (B) Lastly, even something like a 10 (E) has been shown to result in move surveys being completed.

Questions 11-14

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet, write:

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

11

The writer sees evidence of the reciprocity principle in his own family.

Correct answer: NOT GIVEN

12

Persuasion may operate in different ways in different countries.

Correct answer: YES

13

New Zealand diners are likely to leave tips if they are given chocolate.

Correct answer: NO

14

Oder New Zealanders would be more attracted to consistency.