Scientific Definition
Persuasion power is a function of perceived expertise × perceived trustworthiness.
Plain-English Definition
Persuasion power is a function of perceived expertise × perceived trustworthiness.
Feynman Explanation
Expertise without trust is a lecture. Trust without expertise is friendship. Influence needs both.
Core Principle
Persuasion power is a function of perceived expertise × perceived trustworthiness.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Persuasion power is a function of perceived expertise × perceived trustworthiness.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Executive communication, sales, and change leadership.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Expertise without trust is a lecture. Trust without expertise is friendship. Influence needs both.
Examples
- Hovland & Weiss's source-credibility research, central to Brown's framework.
- Executive communication, sales, and change leadership.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Invest in both axes deliberately. They compound differently and decay differently.
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.
- Invest in both axes deliberately. They compound differently and decay differently.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Hard tactics use pressure and authority; soft tactics use rapport, reasoning, and inspiration.
A consistent minority can shift the majority's views over time.
A group decides on a course of action that nobody actually wants, because everyone assumes others prefer it.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
We attribute our own actions to situations but others' actions to their character.
We favor people who are similar to us or who like us.
Sacrificing for others without expecting a personal reward.
Masking the sponsors of a message to make it appear grassroots.
Disagreement grows more extreme as the parties think more about the issue.
Systematic errors in explaining the causes of behavior — yours or others'.
We accept vague, general statements as personally meaningful.
Adding the word 'because' (with any reason) increases compliance dramatically.