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Assignment: Module 5 – Influence and Persuasion
PART 1:
• Write a 1-2-page paper (APA 7th format, no abstract required or cover page required) with the following key points:
In this module, you have read a number of articles on the various tactics and techniques of influence and persuasion to modify attitudes and behaviors. This module’s discussion question will require that you apply that reading to address the following points:
o Explain an instance where you had to persuade someone to do something in a workplace setting. What did you do?
o How did you present yourself? Why? What effect did it have?
o What power bases or influence tactics did you employ? Describe.
o What attitudes did you change in the person? Why?
o After having done the reading, how might you have changed your approach?
Be sure to include and apply concepts from the reading to clarify your answers.
PART 2:
• Write a 3-page paper (APA 7th format, no abstract required or cover page required – DO NOT EXCEED 1000 words on this portion) with the following key points:
Written Assignment: Consulting for Sparks and Crash Computer Company #5
Mr. Sparks is in the process of negotiating a major business deal with a computer sales and distribution company. The organization is a large, silicon valley company, started by a young “hot shot” programmer. The company is interested in using Sparks and Crash components in their systems. Unfortunately, the negotiations are not going well and Mr. Sparks asks you to sit in on the proceedings and evaluate.
As you sit in the meeting, a couple of things jump to your attention. First, Mr. Sparks looks horrible. He is rumpled, disheveled, and has a ketchup stain on his shirt from lunch. He certainly does not look like the expert and authority you know him to be. Second, he is very agitated and grumpy in the meeting. Definitely not showing his likable side. Third, he doesn’t really seem to be offering much…or making much of an argument for the deal. Of course, the CEO of the other company (a young man in jeans and a blazer) doesn’t seem to pay much attention anyway. Half of the time he’s distracted with his Blackberry and just nodding with every other point Mr. Sparks makes. How is Mr. Sparks ever going to close this deal?
Your objective is to write a proposal for SC Co. to define the problem and describe an intervention that would help address the issue. Answer the following points in your proposal.
o Define the problem as you see it
o Select at least three (3) concepts/theories from this week’s reading to address the problem (SEE LECTURE NOTES FOR CONCEPTS/THEORIES).
Briefly describe the concepts/theories and how they help to understand and explain the problem.
o Compose an intervention for the problem from the concepts/theories and describe what you would do.
o Predict, given the same concepts/theories, the outcome of your intervention.
References and Citations should include the below and can be supplemented with peer reviewed articles published in the last 5 years:
• Overview of Social Influence:
Baumeister, R. F., & Finkel, E. J. (Eds.) (2010). Advanced social psychology: The state of the science. New York: Oxford University Press.
Chapter 11
• Self-Presentation
Baumeister, R.F. (1982). A self-presentational view of social phenomena. Psychological Bulletin, 91(1), 3-26.
• Power
Raven, B.H. (1993). The bases of power: Origins and recent developments. Journal of Social Issues, 49(4), 227-251.
• Social Influence and Compliance
Cialdini, R. B. (1995). Principles and techniques of social influence. In A. Tesser (Ed.), Advanced social psychology (pp. 257-281). New York: McGraw-Hill. (cialdini,_r._b._(1995).pdf Download cialdini,_r._b._(1995).pdf)
• Obedience
Burger, J. M. (2009). Replicating Milgram: Would people still obey today? American Psychologist, 64,(1) 1-11.
• Persuasion and Attitude Change
Petty, R.E., Heesacker, M., & Hughes, J.N. (1997). The elaboration likelihood model: Implications for the practice of school psychology. Journal of School Psychology, 35(2), 107-136.
• Consumer Psychology
Loken, B. (2006). Consumer psychology: Categorization, inferences, affect, and persuasion. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 453-485.
• Milgram’s Obedience to Authority Experiments
This video is a bit long but worth the watch. See the actual replication of the Milgram experiment. Pay particular attention how bases of power and social influence are used to generate extreme compliance and obedience in subjects – even when they are under extreme distress.
