The Six Principles of Reciprocity...contd.,

The Six Principles of Reciprocity...contd.,

AUTHORITY (if an expert says it, it must be true)
People automatically believe the expert or follow those in authority. This is true even if
the person is not and cannot be an authority, but is only perceived as such. They react
automatically, without thinking, because an “authority” says so. The most credible
authorities are both knowledgeable and trustworthy. TRUST

One must be impartial, unbiased and honest. A shortcut to gaining trust is to
say something mildly contradictory to one’s own position. Then one will be seen
as impartial, willing to acknowledge the negative side of one’s own position,
and one will thus establish credibility.

b. MISPLACED TRUST
Trust can be established either by “smuggling” or by being honest and providing
the truth.

CONSISTENCY (I can’t back out now, nor do I need to)
a. Obtain a commitment
People become more certain after they invest in something—or make a
decision.
b. Start small and build
Start by getting a person to make a very small commitment, and then ask for increasingly
larger requests. The build-up can be slow, subtle and insidious. Once the commitment
is made, it is very hard to change.

CONSENSUS (everyone is doing it)
a. The actions of many others
People often look to see what other people are doing before they act. In
Singapore, a bus strike caused a run on a bank and its closure because the
people outside the bank waiting for the bus created the impression of a problem
with the bank.

b. The actions of similar others
“The more one sees others like him/her doing something, the more one does
what he/she does”

c. Rejection of Original Referent Group
If the original referent group is rejected, a person is susceptible to the coercion
and persuasion of the new group. This is one of the techniques used by cults: reject
normal society, parents, and friends and substitute the cult.

LIKING (positive connections create liking)
a. Similarities
A person likes people who are like himself/herself.
b. Compliments, praise
People like to be complemented by others, whether the compliment is true or
false.
c. Cooperative efforts
Bonds form through cooperative efforts, whether natural and legitimate or unnatural
and manipulative.