Covert Influence...
A Covert Christmas
(Part 4 of a multi-part series)
Kevin Hogan
I recently received this interesting note from a Coffee with Kevin Hogan reader:
"Louis Green here in Oklahoma City. I met you at Renegades
of Persuasion in Las Vegas, read Coffee & own three of your books.
Thought I'd share an interesting story about Halloween
and kids' behavior around taking candy from a bowl.
I have been out the past two Halloween evenings. Last year,
I bought a bag of mini-Tootsie pops and put them
in a bowl on a chair on my front porch. On the chair, I wrote
on a sign in English & Spanish which said:
"One piece of candy for each child. Please be honest."
When I got home, there were some pops gone, but the bowl
was largely full.
If fact, there were so many pops left, I hung onto the bag
(less the few that I ate) and realized that I could put them out again
this year. (I really wanted to get rid of them.) This time, I put them
on the same chair, no sign.
What happened?
When I got home, all the pops were gone, except for two."
(twitter: @louismgreen)
Thanks, Louis!
There's a million variables that could have caused the candy to
vanish this year.
Here are the key elements that have been found in research to be
connected to successful behavioral control using signage.
Successful Behavior Control Using Signs
Having a specific instruction. "One piece of candy for each child."
That's laser beam. Specific instructions are part of covert conditioning.
There is no negative message. "Don't be a jerk and take all
the candy," or "Don't steal this candy!" Negative messages have
been shown to NOT work unless they are aimed at SOMEONE
ELSE. (Negative campaign ads are very effective in connecting
with voters 18-25)
The sign is written by hand.
There is a request for a value to be accountable for. But no
punishment for failure addressed. ("Please be honest.")
Before I get to some really cool new covert research, I'd like
to get inside of your mind for a moment, if it's OK with you....
Cool Article?
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Successful Behavior Control Using Signs