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        ADVERTISING – How our minds are changed for us

We live in a world where much of our life is a struggle for survival. In the public arena we are bombarded by advertising, suggesting to us what we would like to do and be and own. We know this, so why is it that we get sucked in?

Marketing gurus have made a study of how to get people to purchase their products. They do this by knowing the way in which the human mind works and by using this knowledge to influence us in the ways which they determine. From a young age we have learnt how to fit in by learning the rules of society. Sales techniques use these unspoken societal rules to exert a subtle pressure on us as individuals, making it difficult for us not to buy whatever it is that they are gracious enough to sell us.

Techniques by sales people include making themselves likeable by ingratiating themselves. Looking attractive; telling us that we are in some way similar to them; or showing us that they like us, are all approaches used to get people to accede to requests. Another technique relies on the social obligation to reciprocate. If we receive a favour our societal rule is that we have to give one. A religious sect used this technique by proffering a flower to people on the street. Once the gift was accepted the person was asked to donate money and found it difficult to refuse.

Then there is the “door-in-the-face” approach which relies on our need not to be thought of as completely unfriendly. We may be resistant to an initial request, but if more than one request is directed at us, we may weaken. The sales person therefore asks something big of us which we have no problem in refusing. However they did not expect us to agree to it, but then they direct a further, smaller request at us and we feel more ready to be compliant.

A reversal of this strategy is the “foot-in-the-door” approach. Here we are asked for something small and safe initially, but then the demand builds up. The reason this technique works may be that with the initial request we perceive ourselves to be helpful sorts of people and so we continue to comply in order to maintain consistency with this self belief. Or it may be more complicated. Perhaps we feel we now know the person better and have some sort of bond with them, thus we have faith that they will not take advantage of our trust.

So next time you are feeling cornered into buying something which you really have no wish to own, try and analyse what your real feelings are and express these. After all, trust is a two-way street.

Mind Matters is a regular Times column by Pamela Glyn, a Howick-based psychologist. Tel/Fax: 535-2224. Email: glynpsy@pl.net Web site: www.glyn-psychology.co.nz