The Science of Persuasion Answers

Here are the answers to yesterday's Science of  Persuasion quiz along with a brief explanation on each. Few people had actually guessed very close to the actual answers. Congrats to you guys! I Hope you enjoyed it and if you are interested in more such quizzes please visit Daily Planet's Mind Bender via  Discovery Channel.


1. How many times should an idea be repeated for maximum effect? 
a) 3-5

Studies have found that the maximum effect came from 3-5 repetitions of an idea or message. Repetition fails if people aren't paying attention or if an argument is weak. If an argument is strong, repetition increases its power to persuade. However, too much repetition can have the opposite of the desired effect.



2.What are most people likely to believe is true? Something that is:
a) easy to understand

We all know that the world is complicated, but we’re still most likely to believe things that are easy to understand. Why? It could be because it takes less effort to process something that’s easy to understand, plus, most people prefer not to have to think too hard.


3. Which version of the speech was most persuasive? 
a) with a word "damn" in it

“Damn” made the speech more persuasive because it showed that the speaker had passion, which attracts people’s attention. Speakers who show that they’re passionate about something are more persuasive than those with less fire in their belly.


4. What talking speed is the most persuasive?
d) it depends on whether the audience agrees with you or not

If your audience already agrees with you, slow talking is best. Why? It could be because people who already agree with you get a chance to agree even more when you talk slowly. But if your audience doesn't agree with you, talking fast is your best bet. Talking fast doesn’t give people time to come up with arguments, which could possibly result in more persuasion.


5. In what would you find this “persuasive” substance?
c) coffee

So, why did caffeine make people easier to persuade? Simple. Caffeine makes us more alert. The more alert we are, the better we are at processing incoming messages more thoroughly, which can lead to increased persuasion. Unless we’re not paying attention. No amount of persuasion works if we’re tuned out.

via: DailyPlanet's MindBender Quiz