To accompany feature ‘Persuasion can be used to change hearts and minds‘

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

1. Can you think of a time when an ad tried to persuade you to do something you knew was wrong or dangerous? Give an example.

2.  Give an example of how persuasion might be used to convince someone to do something positive or helpful.

During Reading:

1.  How do social-media sites use persuasion? How might ads viewed on social media be harmful?

2.  Based on the story, when are you most likely to fall for a gimmick or potentially harmful ad? What can you do to avoid that happening?

3.  What are heuristics?

4.  Give an example of a heuristic that an online store might use to persuade you to make a quick decision to buy something.

5.  Explain what “door-in-the-face” persuasion means.

6.  What is gaslighting?

7. Give an example of a situation in which gaslighting might be used to control the actions of another person.

8.  Is gaslighting always intentional? What could you do if you felt someone was trying to emotionally manipulate you?

9.  Why might someone be easily convinced that a fake-news story or a conspiracy theory is true?

10.  How can “personalized matching” help persuade people to change their point of view?

After reading:

1.  How would you feel if someone you were trying to persuade about an issue you felt passionately about accused you of being manipulative? How could you respond to that person such that they might become more accepting of your message?

2.  How might you respond to someone who you thought was trying to persuade you to do something harmful to yourself or others? Would you tell anyone about that conversation? Explain why or why not.