An Aggregator for Blogs About Social Engineering and Related Fields
Inspired by the spirit of gratitude that is amplified each Thanksgiving day, Brian Doyle set out to extend the power of gratitude beyond one holiday in his unique social experiment: “365 Days of Thank You.” Learn how two words can change your world and world view.
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The bitter election may be over, but its tensions are still alive.
Following President-elect Donald Trump’s surprising victory on Election Day, partisan divisions continue to survive amidst heated arguments and even vandalism. In one notable incident, a United Airlines staff had to step in to separate some particularly argumentative passengers.
“If anyone has a problem… and needs to vent or rant or rave, there’s another flight tomorrow. It’s not going to be on this one,” the pilot announced after two passengers engaged in a heated exchange. According to fellow travelers, one passenger praised Trump for his support of firearms, while the other expressed fear given her ethnicity.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Since the election, there have been numerous incidents of pro-Trump vandalism, and anti-Trump protests have sprung up in major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland, and New York City. Amidst these conflicts, many on both sides of the aisle have called for unity and reconciliation.
Humintell’s Dr. David Matsumoto observed, “it’s natural to see eruptions of these feelings here and there over time, but the real question is the degree to which it’s going to be sustained. And there, leaders take a very important role.”
President Obama, President-elect Trump, and former Secretary Clinton seem to agree. On Election night, Trump urged “for us to become together as one united people,” while Obama has called for “a sense of unity; a sense of inclusion…and a respect for each other.”
Even, the United Airlines pilot joined this chorus, telling passengers: “As people, we have the common decency to respect each other’s decisions, and to get along on this three hour and 13 minute flight.”
Division and hate can also be encouraged through social media. For more information on this phenomena read our posts here and here.
This powerful advert is part of an effective campaign based in Delhi that aims to rehabilitate victims of acids attacks and ban the sale of acid. It is incredibly persuasive due to its clever use of shock tactics. The advert copies the style of many popular beauty videos, but with one key difference, the girl presenting is the victim of an acid attack. Dahl, Frankenberger and Machanda (2003) suggest shock tactics are an effective tool for persuasion because they violate norms. This surprises the audience leading them to use additional cognitive processing, such as retention and elaboration, when presented with the shocking message. In addition, a violation of norms leads to cognitive dissonance as it creates an inconsistency between an individuals beliefs and behaviour (Festinger, 1957). For example, an individual may think of themselves as a charitable or caring person, but this advert reminds the viewer of a cause they have not supported. Therefore, the viewer can resolve this dissonance by donating to the charity, turning the negative emotion into a positive one. However, using shock tactics can be risky. They can make people feel uncomfortable and thus, in order to reduce any dissonance they may be feeling, individuals may simply change the channel or hide the ad. ReferencesDahl, D. W., Frankenberget, K.D., & Machanda, R.V. (2003). Does it pay to shock? Reactions to shocking and nonshocking advertising content among university students. Journal of Advertising Research, 43, 268-280. Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.