I crafted that epigram to headline advice I give to campaign workers who want to change voters’ deeply held convictions. The persuasion tactics I then go on to suggest include listening to stories of life experiences told by the voter which have led to mistaken beliefs and then sharing true stories which illustrate a more accurate worldview. All this with the exchange of tales in ways which sidestep personal judgment of each other. When it’s done in face-to-face neighborhood contacts, political psychologists call it “deep canvassing.”
The method is supported by results of a study based at Stanford University and University of California-Berkeley. The study was conducted to question the popular view that the only way to influence elections is to increase the number of people with your view who vote. Personally important political opinions are extremely resistant to change. All new information which confirms previously held beliefs is attended to and remembered well. Any new information which contradicts beliefs is ignored or forgotten. Trying to change these political opinions is therefore futile, says this perspective.
The pessimistic view also comes with research support. Political scientists at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Rice University say that liberals tend to be physiologically different from conservatives. Liberals have relatively more gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain associated with impulse control, while conservatives have relatively more gray matter in the amygdala, which is associated with intense emotional experiences.
These are overall tendencies, not true of every individual voter. Further, the physiological predispositions, built into a consumer’s DNA, aren’t the whole tale. Situations and experiences do matter. An article in VICE Magazine about the use of deep canvassing quotes advocates of the technique who attribute its effectiveness to building relationships of trust through mutual storytelling. The article also reports on the limitations of deep canvassing during the during the 2020 election cycle. Considerations like the coronavirus restrict door-to-door visits and invitations to sit down together to chat. Deep canvassing could be used in phone conversations, though.
The notion that life experiences can uncoil even deep-seated political orientations certainly is not new. Although a 2007 research article claims to have disproved the claim, the old saying “A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged” persists. Author Tom Wolf added, “A liberal is a conservative who’s been arrested.”
Successfully influence the most prosperous & most loyal consumer age group. For the specific strategies & tactics you need, click here.
Click for more…
Involve the Shopper in Your StoryDiscuss Disgust Conservatively & Liberally
Mobilize Cause & Guilt Against Fake News
No comments:
Post a Comment