influence-psychology

What this skill does

# Influence Psychology Framework

Framework for applying the science of persuasion ethically and effectively. Based on six decades of research into why people say "yes" and what makes them comply with requests.

## Core Principle

People don't make decisions rationally. They use mental shortcuts (heuristics) that can be triggered to influence behavior. These shortcuts evolved because they're usually reliable—but they can also be exploited.

**The foundation:** Understanding the psychological triggers that drive human compliance allows you to design products, messaging, and experiences that naturally align with how people actually make decisions.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** When reviewing or creating persuasive elements (features, copy, flows, campaigns), rate them 0-10 based on adherence to the principles below. A 10/10 means ethical, effective application of influence psychology; lower scores indicate missed opportunities or ethical concerns. Always provide the current score and specific improvements needed to reach 10/10.

## The Seven Principles of Influence

### 1. Reciprocity

**Core concept:** People feel obligated to give back to others who have given to them first.

**Why it works:** Humans are wired to avoid being indebted. The obligation to repay is so strong that it can overpower other factors like personal preference or fairness.

**Key insights:**

- The gift must come first (before the request)
- Personalization increases power
- Unexpected gifts are more powerful than expected ones
- Even small gifts create obligation
- The return favor often exceeds the original gift

**Product applications:**

| Context | Reciprocity Trigger | Example |
|---------|---------------------|---------|
| **Free trials** | Give full access first, then ask to pay | Spotify Premium trial → subscription |
| **Content marketing** | Provide value upfront (guides, tools) | HubSpot free CRM → paid tools |
| **Referral programs** | Give reward to both referrer and referee | Dropbox: both get extra storage |
| **Onboarding** | Unlock a premium feature temporarily | Grammarly: free tone detection trial |
| **SaaS** | Provide unexpected value or support | Personalized setup call for new users |

**Copy patterns:**

- "Here's a gift for you..." (before asking)
- "We've upgraded your account..."
- "As a thank you for signing up..."
- "We noticed you needed help with X, so we..."

**Ethical boundary:** Give genuine value. Don't create artificial debts or exploit obligation.

See: [references/reciprocity.md](references/reciprocity.md) for reciprocity techniques and case studies.

### 2. Commitment & Consistency

**Core concept:** People want to be consistent with their past statements, beliefs, and actions.

**Why it works:** Inconsistency is psychologically uncomfortable. Once we've made a choice or taken a stand, we encounter personal and interpersonal pressure to behave consistently with that commitment.

**Key insights:**

- Small initial commitments lead to larger ones (foot-in-the-door)
- Public commitments are stronger than private ones
- Written commitments are stronger than verbal ones
- Active commitments (user-generated) are stronger than passive ones
- Self-perception: we infer our attitudes from our behavior

**Product applications:**

| Context | Commitment Trigger | Example |
|---------|-------------------|---------|
| **Onboarding** | Start with easy yes, build to larger asks | Duolingo: "Can you commit to 5 min/day?" |
| **Progressive profiling** | Small data requests that compound | LinkedIn: add photo → headline → experience |
| **Goal setting** | User publicly states a goal | Strava: "I want to run 50km this month" |
| **Social proof generation** | Ask for review after positive action | Airbnb: review request after good stay |
| **Habit formation** | Track streak publicly | Snapchat streaks, GitHub contributions |

**Copy patterns:**

- "What's your biggest challenge with X?" (commitment to a problem)
- "How much would you like to save per month?" (numerical commitment)
- "Would you like to join X people who've already...?"
- "You said you wanted to achieve X. Let's start with..."

**Onboarding sequence:**

1. Get micro-commitment ("What brings you here?")
2. Small action (click, choice, input)
3. Public or written commitment (goal, preference)
4. Reinforce consistency ("Based on what you told us...")

**Ethical boundary:** Don't lock users into commitments they didn't freely make. Allow easy reversibility.

See: [references/commitment-consistency.md](references/commitment-consistency.md) for commitment tactics and flows.

### 3. Social Proof

**Core concept:** People determine what's correct by finding out what other people think is correct.

**Why it works:** When uncertain, we look to others' behavior as a guide. "If everyone's doing it, it must be right."

**Key insights:**

- Most powerful when observers are uncertain
- Similar others = stronger proof (age, location, goals)
- Negative social proof can backfire ("9 out of 10 don't...")
- Specific numbers > vague claims ("2,347 users" > "thousands")
- Live activity = urgency + proof

**Types of social proof:**

| Type | Definition | Example |
|------|------------|---------|
| **Wisdom of crowds** | Many people use/buy | "Join 50,000+ marketers" |
| **Wisdom of friends** | People you know use it | "3 of your friends use Notion" |
| **Expert** | Authorities endorse | "Recommended by Y Combinator" |
| **Celebrity** | Famous people use it | "Used by Elon Musk" |
| **Certification** | Third-party validation | "SOC 2 compliant", "App of the Year" |
| **User** | Similar people succeeded | "Startups like yours grew 10x" |

**Product applications:**

| Context | Social Proof Implementation | Example |
|---------|----------------------------|---------|
| **Landing pages** | User count, reviews, logos | "Trusted by 10,000+ companies" |
| **Signup flow** | Live signups, popular plans | "23 people signed up in the last hour" |
| **Feature adoption** | Show usage by others | "85% of teams use this feature" |
| **Urgency** | Limited availability | "Only 3 spots left at this price" |
| **Reviews** | Ratings, testimonials, case studies | G2 badges, video testimonials |

**Copy patterns:**

- "[X number] of [similar people] are already..."
- "[Name/Company] increased [metric] by [%]"
- "Don't take our word for it. Here's what [users] say..."
- "Join [X] others in [cohort]"

**Ethical boundary:** Never fabricate social proof. Real numbers, real testimonials. Disclose when proof is curated.

See: [references/social-proof.md](references/social-proof.md) for social proof types and implementation patterns.

### 4. Authority

**Core concept:** People follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts.

**Why it works:** Obedience to authority is deeply ingrained. Following experts is an efficient shortcut when we lack expertise ourselves.

**Key insights:**

- Titles, credentials, uniforms trigger automatic compliance
- Authority is conferred (doctors, professors) and assumed (confident tone)
- Admitting a weakness paradoxically increases authority (trustworthiness)
- Expertise in one domain doesn't transfer, but people assume it does
- Even symbols of authority work (lab coats, official-looking designs)

**Sources of authority:**

| Type | Signal | Example |
|------|--------|---------|
| **Credentials** | Degrees, certifications | "Built by Stanford PhDs" |
| **Experience** | Years in field, track record | "20 years in cybersecurity" |
| **Social proof** | Awards, press, rankings | "Featured in Forbes, TechCrunch" |
| **Association** | Trusted partners, investors | "Backed by Y Combinator" |
| **Content** | Thought leadership, research | "Based on research with 10,000 users" |
| **Transparency** | Honest about limitations | "Works best for teams of 10-50" |

**Product applications:**

| Context | Authority Trigger | Example |
|---------|------------------|---------|
| **About page** | Founder credentials, team expert