On Being Influenced While Trying to Persuade

Abstract

In two studies, a persuader attempted to influence multiple targets (confederates) to take his or her position on an important social issue. As the persuader advocated his or her position, targets initially provided positive (negative) feedback that placed the persuader in the majority (minority). Subsequent feedback on the persuader’s continuing advocacy either kept initially established status stable or reversed it (majority ↔ minority). Initial status and its stability interacted to affect persuaders' certainty, which in turn affected persuaders' efficacy assessed by coding persuaders' videotaped nonverbal behavior and strength of advocacy, respectively (Study 1). Coding and an independent audience’s reactions to persuasive “blogs” created by persuaders whose initial status was kept (un)stable replicated the persuasive efficacy findings (Study 2). Thus, persuaders' ability to produce cogent messages is affected by the social context in which they operate.