Leveraging social psychology in lobbying
Theoretical knowledge about the lobbying and public affairs profession is often first associated with knowledge of, say, political science, public administration or constitutional law. Certainly useful basic knowledge to know how the decision-making process works. I myself like to add knowledge of social psychology to this toolbox. Indeed, social psychology offers additional insights that can be crucial and distinctive for effective policy advocacy. Understanding human behavior, group dynamics and persuasion strategies enables lobbyists and advocates to even better achieve their goals. One of my most favorite works in this area is Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini. In this contribution, a brief insight into how the principles from this book can be applied in the public affairs profession.
A Foundation for Persuasion
Cialdini’s book describes six (and later seven) principles of influence that are frequently used in marketing and communications, and are also particularly relevant to lobbying and advocacy. Simplified, these principles read as follows:
- Reciprocity: people feel an obligation to give something back to those who have rendered them a service. In a lobbying context, this may mean that a policymaker is more likely to support a proposal if he or she has previously had a positive experience with the lobbyist.
- Scarcity: the rarer something is, the more valuable it seems. Highlighting the urgency of a problem may encourage policymakers to act more quickly.
- Authority: people trust experts and authoritative sources. Involving reputable scientists or expert institutions can increase the credibility of a position.
- Consistency: people want to act in accordance with previous commitments. Committing to small commitments can increase the likelihood that policymakers will later support a larger proposal.
- Sympathy: people are more likely to say “yes” to people they like. Building personal relationships with policymakers is therefore essential. Do so sincerely though…
- Social proof power: policymakers are sensitive to what others do or think. Showing broad public support for a policy proposal can be very effective.
- Unity: people tend to feel connected to others who belong to the same group. Emphasizing shared values or interests reinforces this connection.
Three levels
From exploiting Cialdini’s theory, the process of policy influence can be divided into three successive levels:
- Inform: the first level is to provide factual information. Policymakers need to understand the heart of the problem before they can act. At this stage, it is important to present complex data in a simple and accessible way, such as with one-pagers, visual evidence or compact key messages.
- Persuade: once decision makers are informed, they must be convinced to take action or take a particular position. This is where Cialdini’s principles come into play, for example by bringing in experts (authority) or by making the problem urgent (scarcity).
- Influence: the last level goes beyond rational persuasion and focuses on shaping the context in which decisions are made. This may involve the lobbyist forging strategic alliances, mobilizing public support or responding to the policymaker’s values (unity). This is the most ultimate goal and, from an ethical perspective, the most sensitive.
Further exploration?
Social psychology offers a complementary basis for anyone who wants to influence policy-making and do so distinctively. Complementary to the well-trodden paths of knowledge from, for example, political science, public administration and constitutional law. Want to know more about how? Then start by reading Robert Cialdini’s book.
“Understanding human behavior, group dynamics and persuasion strategies enables lobbyists and advocates to even better achieve their goals.”
Public matters