We couldn’t give a complete picture of social influence without discussing the cunning ability of salespeople, convincing us to purchase things we don’t particularly need — one could deem this a breed of consumer brainwashing. Research shows that one method in particular appears to be highly effective in persuading an individual to spend money: the disrupt-then-reframe (DTR) technique. Dr. Barbara Price Davis, who co-authored a study on the topic, elaborates: “We created a new influence technique involving a small disruption (stating the price of a package of note cards in pennies rather than dollars) and a direct reframing (saying, ‘It’s a bargain’). Four studies showed that a DTR technique was influential in getting household residents to purchase cards supporting a local charity.”
Incidentally, a meta-analysis conducted by Drs. Christopher J. Carpenter and Franklin J. Boster found that the DTR technique was somewhat more successful in soliciting charity donations than in consumer sales.
Another important way in which others influence us is through the employ of mimicry. Dr. Nicolas Gueguen, in a paper published in the European Journal of Social Sciences, cites a number of studies that reveal how someone’s subtle imitations can affect our behaviors. One study found that when speed-dating, a woman who mimicked her date (using a variety of verbal and nonverbal cue combinations) tended to be rated more favorably by the date, who expressed increased desire for a second date. In addition, when a server mimicked her customers, she was tipped in greater amounts. Similar positive results were found in studies of “spontaneous helping behavior,” negotiation, and sales. Furthermore, we often unconsciously mimic the behavior of others; this phenomenon is known as the “chameleon effect.” The ways in which we are influenced by mimicry is twofold: We tend to mimic others without realizing we are doing so, and we view those who mimic us more favorably.
Some final evidence to ponder: Though we generally assume that fear is the best motivator, studies have shown that positive framing is more likely to produce positive results. Dr. Daniel J. O’Keefe published a meta-analytic review in Communication Studies. The review found that, “gain-framed messages engender slightly but significantly greater message engagement than do loss-framed messages,” particularly when the message was related to human health. Essentially, this means that telling someone that eating lots of fruits and vegetables will give them glowing skin may be more effective in shaping their actions than saying an unhealthy diet can lead to chronic diseases.
A buzzword often associated with brainwashing that tends to provoke the same kind of fear-based response is “cult.” The word tends to automatically conjure the most extreme and infamous cases, such as the Manson Family, Branch Davidians, Westboro Baptist Church, and the People’s Temple, to name a few. However, just as there are many ways in which we are influenced by those around us (a form of brainwashing, one could argue), we also tend to conform to the beliefs and interests of our immediate social groups.
Saul McLeod outlines six ways in which we conform: normative conformity (peer pressure); informational conformity (when someone turns to the group for help); compliance (discord between public agreement and private beliefs); internalization (public and private agreement); ingratiational conformity (attempts to gain approval or esteem); and identification (conforming to the expectations of a social role). We often unconsciously engage in a number of these behaviors on a daily basis.
Furthermore, many of us may be members of a “cult following” which includes fandoms for “Harry Potter,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Twilight,” “Game of Thrones,” “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and so on. For whatever reason, some elements of popular culture take off like wildfire. Moreover, many people are fascinated by seemingly timeless “cult classics,” in spite of (or perhaps because of) their often campy, “so bad it’s good” nature.
And this phenomenon isn’t limited just to art — it can also apply to consumer goods. In an episode of BBC’s “Secrets of the Superbrands,” we learn about Alex Brooks, a devoted consumer of Apple products. Neuroscientists looked at his brain’s response to various tech products (some Apple, some other brands) using MRI scans. They found that the areas of Brooks’ brain that were activated when presented with Apple products paralleled the brain activity of devoutly religious individuals who were shown imagery related to their faith. This widespread material worship perhaps isn’t so far off from those who are indoctrinated in a deviant social group — call it the “Cult of Apple.”
Certainly, all of this is not to downplay the very real cases of brainwashing and cult assimilation. True mind control changes the brain, sometimes irrevocably. Dr. Kathleen Taylor discusses research conducted by the U.S. military on this subject, which looks “at the effects of stress on the brain and … stress hormones and how they affect particularly prefrontal areas … The essence of a quote, unquote brainwashing situation is when somebody is very, very highly stressed.”
It is important, however, to put things into perspective by realizing that every day, we are subject to countless social influences that unconsciously affect our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Things like the Manson Family or prisoner-of-war camp brainwashing tactics are extreme examples; they are the final manifestation — one might say they are caricatures — of subtle influences by which we are surrounded. These influences can be good, bad, or neutral — such judgment calls are in the eye of the beholder.
In order to present the most authentic version of ourselves, it is necessary to occasionally “wash” our brains from all of the biases we come into contact with. Obviously, we can never completely change our genetics and some of our early childhood conditioning, but we can scrub-rinse-repeat the layers of social scum that can begin to coat our identities. And in this case, it’s imperative that you bathe alone.
This article was first published in Brain World Magazine’s print edition.
