Compliance techniques

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Compliance techniques seek to prompt specific actions from an audience.

Advertising is generally categorized as either image projection, informational or compliance oriented. Corporations or groups use image projection techniques to promote favorable perceptions of their group without seeking any specific action from an audience. Informational campaigns are sometimes used to provide product or service information, but usually include or support techniques. Public broadcasting relies on informational techniques to advise users who financially supports the service.

Social psychologist Robert Cialdini offers six generalized types of compliance techniques, which closely resemble other recognized propaganda techniques from other systems of classification: friendship/liking, commitment/consistency, scarcity, reciprocity, social validation and authority.

Technique types

  • Authority (comply to those in position of authority)
  • Commitment [or Consistency] (Once affirmed, likely to comply to similar requests)
  • Friendship [or Liking] (comply with request from a friend)
  • Reciprocity (Something done for one party, that party may think the need to return the favor)
  • Scarcity (comply because limited resource)
  • Social Validation (comply with what similar groups would agree with)

See also: propaganda techniques

External links