Scientific Definition
A persuasive message produces the opposite of its intended effect.
Plain-English Definition
A persuasive message produces the opposite of its intended effect.
Feynman Explanation
The harder you push, the harder they push back.
Core Principle
A persuasive message produces the opposite of its intended effect.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
A persuasive message produces the opposite of its intended effect.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Change programs can increase resistance if they feel coercive.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
The harder you push, the harder they push back.
Examples
- A health campaign scares smokers, who then smoke more to cope.
- Change programs can increase resistance if they feel coercive.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Use autonomy-preserving language and small voluntary commitments.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Use autonomy-preserving language and small voluntary commitments.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
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Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
We accept vague, general statements as personally meaningful.
We come to like people we've done a favor for, more than people who've helped us.
Subconscious preference for numbers (and letters) that appear in our own name or birthday.
The threat of retaliation suppresses legitimate speech or action.
Higher rates of mistreatment toward stepchildren than biological children.
Renewed interest in a stimulus when a novel stimulus is introduced.
We recognize faces from our own race more accurately than others.
Underestimating how common our positive traits and behaviors are.
We accept vague, positive personality descriptions as highly accurate.
People change behavior when they know they are being observed.
Competent people become more likable after a small visible mistake.
A group decides on a course of action that nobody actually wants, because everyone assumes others prefer it.