Why do persuasion attempts often fail?

Attempts at persuasion often have limited impact. One of the most important reasons might be that people do not want to be influenced; they are motivated to resist persuasion (Ringold, 2002). In doing so, people oppose, counter, and resist persuasive attempts by adopting strategies such as counter arguing or avoidance.

Is it possible to resist unwanted persuasion?

Effective resistance can be used to ward off unwanted persuasion, but inappropriate resistance can close a person off to meaningful changes. Skepticism, reactance, and inertia are three kinds of resistance that work in different way to limit persuasion.

What is associated with someone being resistant to a persuasive attempt?

What Is ‘Persuasion Resistance (Reactance)’? Persuasion Resistance is a natural defense against pressure. Reactance occurs when a prospect senses that someone is trying to compel them to do something; they automatically resist and attempt to move away from the conversation. Desperation is a negative trust signal.

Who is more resistant persuasion?

The results showed that participants who looked at the speaker’s eyes were less receptive to the arguments and less open to interaction with the advocates of the opposing views, and were thus more difficult to persuade.

What are resistance strategies?

Four clusters of resistance strategies are defined (avoidance, contesting, biased processing, and empowerment), and these clusters are related to different motivations for resisting persuasion (threat to freedom, reluctance to change, and concerns of deception).

How do you stop persuasion?

Avoid the ‘usual’ arguments in your persuasion attempt. Instead use a new angle they haven’t thought about before. When resisting persuasion: expose yourself to different types of arguments and counter-arguments you will likely face. When you know what’s coming it’s easier to defend yourself psychologically.