When Obama speaks, why do his words confirm the beliefs of both Democrats and Republicans? Whatever he says reinforces the agreement that Democrats feel. And it reinforces the skepticism of the Republicans.
It’s our psychology. If someone tells us something, even if it is factually or logically sound, we will ignore the facts and logic if we are feeling skeptical.
Why does this happen?
Our memory is largely composed of stories. When we communicate, I tell you a story which reminds you of a story which you tell to me, and so on. When we hear Obama or any politician speak, it reminds us of a “story”, in this case the story of our political beliefs on that particular subject.
If the speaker’s words conflict with our story, then we work to dismiss the speaker’s comments so that we can confirm what we already believe. Once we’ve resolved the conflict, we actually experience a kind of pleasure.
Scientists have observed this operating in the brain. When people are feeling skeptical, the factual evidence they hear doesn’t engage the reasoning part of their brains. It engages the parts of the brain that are involved with regulating emotion and the parts involved with resolving conflict.
Psychologists call it a “confirmation bias.” What we hear tends to confirm what we already believe.
Now imagine what happens when a skeptical buyer reads or hears information from your company. If you start explaining the facts too early they will turn your facts against you. Your logical argument will simply confirm what these skeptics already believe. The audience will actually become more resistant to you, not less!
How to combat confirmation bias?
Focus on the moderates. You aren’t going to persuade everyone. The most confirmed skeptics will remain skeptical no matter what you do, so stop trying. Focus on the audience in the middle. These people are more moderate in their skepticism and more open to the possibility of another point of view.
Put your audience in a state of persuadability. As Cicero said, you want your audience to be attentive, trusting, and willing to be persuaded. Before launching into the logic of your argument, gain their attention and trust. Communicate how you share their values. Demonstrate that you have practical experience in the subject. Show that you have their interests in mind.
Begin with values or beliefs the audience already holds. Make the premise of your core argument something that the audience already believes. Then build the logic of your argument so the audience believes your choice to be the one that is also advantageous to them.
Comments on this entry are closed.