| persuasion_aaq_.docx |
APA Style Citation
McRaney, D. (2022). How minds change: The surprising science of belief, opinion, and persuasion. Penguin, Random House, New York, N.Y.
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/How-Minds-Change-Surprising-Persuasion/dp/0593190297
Book Description
You may know David McRaney from You Are Not So Smart or You Are Now Less Dumb. In his new book, McRaney discusses how we often dig into our beliefs, as well as how these beliefs might be changed. He begins the book by explaining that persuasion is not coercion because in coercion you are acting against your will and contrary to your preferences. In persuasion, you may not be aware of all of your options but still have the choice to reject what a person is trying to persuade you to do. Because of the aspect of free-will, McRaney considers persuasion to be ethical but not coercion. McRaney acknowledges that our beliefs are fluid and can change over time, but they are highly connected to our emotions and identities which may at times make changing a person’s beliefs more challenging. When trying to appeal only to the logical component of a persuasive argument, one will often be unsuccessful because it can trigger an intense emotional or defensive response. A better understanding of where our beliefs come from can in turn help us to understand how persuasion works (or sometimes does not).
Because beliefs have strong social connections, challenging a person’s beliefs may make them feel like a part of the out-group. They may feel like they will become alienated from friends and colleagues if they do not agree. McRaney does note that those who are members of diverse communities may be more open to change and new ideas because there may already be a diversity of ideas within their community. Additionally, humane and empathetic exposure to ideas that are different from one’s own, rather than aggressive and polarizing, may lead to more openness rather than digging in deeper to entrenched ideas. McRaney suggests capitalizing on these non-confrontational conversations by asking people to reflect on personal experiences or relating to people they know and care about. Research has demonstrated that this technique has been effective in changing people’s perspective on LGBTQ+ rights by appealing to people’s humanity and belief that all people should have access to certain human rights.
Another technique that McRaney identifies as street epistemology attempts to challenge people’s existing beliefs through respectful questioning. This technique gently asks people to consider the reasons behind their convictions and the implications that these beliefs may have for themselves of others. The goal here is to identify any inconsistencies in the person’s thinking rather than to aggressively confront individuals with opposing facts or opinions.
McRaney emphasizes that to really change someone’s thinking, they need to believe that the idea of change is their own idea and need to arrive at any potentially new conclusions on their own. He also discusses that shifts in thinking often happen over time. This can be seen with political ideas such as same sex marriage which was taboo a few decades ago but is now well accepted across a broad array of the population. McRaney suggests trying to create environments in which new ideas and opinions are welcome and considered and in which people are open to dialogue with others who may hold opinions different from their own. This may seem particularly challenging in a time of increased polarization, but How Minds Change provides some good ideas to get the conversation started.
Other Related Resources
Website for How Minds Change
Next Big Ideas Club
Facts Don't Change People's Mind: Here's What Does
David McRaney: The Psychology Podcast
Time Magazine: October, 2022
How to Actually Change Someone's Mind
Deepest Beliefs Lab: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
The Study of People's Deepest Beliefs and How they Shape Society
BBC: The Simple Trick to Change other People's Mind
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Central route to persuasion
Conformity
Group polarization
Groupthink
In-groups
Neurons
Out-groups
Peripheral route to persuasion
Persuasion
McRaney, D. (2022). How minds change: The surprising science of belief, opinion, and persuasion. Penguin, Random House, New York, N.Y.
Buy This Book
https://www.amazon.com/How-Minds-Change-Surprising-Persuasion/dp/0593190297
Book Description
You may know David McRaney from You Are Not So Smart or You Are Now Less Dumb. In his new book, McRaney discusses how we often dig into our beliefs, as well as how these beliefs might be changed. He begins the book by explaining that persuasion is not coercion because in coercion you are acting against your will and contrary to your preferences. In persuasion, you may not be aware of all of your options but still have the choice to reject what a person is trying to persuade you to do. Because of the aspect of free-will, McRaney considers persuasion to be ethical but not coercion. McRaney acknowledges that our beliefs are fluid and can change over time, but they are highly connected to our emotions and identities which may at times make changing a person’s beliefs more challenging. When trying to appeal only to the logical component of a persuasive argument, one will often be unsuccessful because it can trigger an intense emotional or defensive response. A better understanding of where our beliefs come from can in turn help us to understand how persuasion works (or sometimes does not).
Because beliefs have strong social connections, challenging a person’s beliefs may make them feel like a part of the out-group. They may feel like they will become alienated from friends and colleagues if they do not agree. McRaney does note that those who are members of diverse communities may be more open to change and new ideas because there may already be a diversity of ideas within their community. Additionally, humane and empathetic exposure to ideas that are different from one’s own, rather than aggressive and polarizing, may lead to more openness rather than digging in deeper to entrenched ideas. McRaney suggests capitalizing on these non-confrontational conversations by asking people to reflect on personal experiences or relating to people they know and care about. Research has demonstrated that this technique has been effective in changing people’s perspective on LGBTQ+ rights by appealing to people’s humanity and belief that all people should have access to certain human rights.
Another technique that McRaney identifies as street epistemology attempts to challenge people’s existing beliefs through respectful questioning. This technique gently asks people to consider the reasons behind their convictions and the implications that these beliefs may have for themselves of others. The goal here is to identify any inconsistencies in the person’s thinking rather than to aggressively confront individuals with opposing facts or opinions.
McRaney emphasizes that to really change someone’s thinking, they need to believe that the idea of change is their own idea and need to arrive at any potentially new conclusions on their own. He also discusses that shifts in thinking often happen over time. This can be seen with political ideas such as same sex marriage which was taboo a few decades ago but is now well accepted across a broad array of the population. McRaney suggests trying to create environments in which new ideas and opinions are welcome and considered and in which people are open to dialogue with others who may hold opinions different from their own. This may seem particularly challenging in a time of increased polarization, but How Minds Change provides some good ideas to get the conversation started.
Other Related Resources
Website for How Minds Change
Next Big Ideas Club
Facts Don't Change People's Mind: Here's What Does
David McRaney: The Psychology Podcast
Time Magazine: October, 2022
How to Actually Change Someone's Mind
Deepest Beliefs Lab: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
The Study of People's Deepest Beliefs and How they Shape Society
BBC: The Simple Trick to Change other People's Mind
Psychological Figures and Concepts
Central route to persuasion
Conformity
Group polarization
Groupthink
In-groups
Neurons
Out-groups
Peripheral route to persuasion
Persuasion
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