First published on Technorati.
User behavior and hence user experience can be influenced by persuasion. PET design principles are very sophisticated and works wonders in driving home – the desired user experience. But it can be tricky – in that, adopting these principles carelessly might lead to the concept of manipulation. We certainly don’t want that. Ethics is what separates the two – Persuasion and Manipulation.
Persuasion Vs Manipulation
Persuasion is ethical. It is about influencing something that your audience needs and perhaps wants. Manipulation is influencing your audience about something that you want. Also, if you to persuasion by force, it is manipulation. A good logical persuasion builds trust and loyalty. By using manipulative techniques too, trust and loyalty can be achieved, albeit only for short-term. What follows is permanent detachment.
Let’s look at few real-world and online examples – about persuasion and manipulation…
#1: Theme park rides leading to souvenir shops
Theme parks such as Disney, Universal Studios, and more – employ a neat persuasive technique to sell souvenirs and gifts. Almost all their park rides exit into a nice little (or big) souvenir shop with nice display and affordable prices. It’s a great feeling for you to impulsively purchase a small “relic” after having experienced a thrilling Indiana Jones ride! Or gift your child ownership of some confiscated magical goods from Harry Potter’s world.
You can argue that since there’s no other way to exit from those rides than the path that they have built, it’s actually as if they’re manipulating. No, manipulation would be “tricking” you into the purchase. This is smart execution of Persuasion.
#2: Subliminal cuts in movies
In 1958 and till years later and perhaps even now, many movies, advertisements have had these subliminal cut frames inserted/edited in between. Subliminal cuts are essentially one frame of information that passes by so fast that it’s invisible to naked eye; however, your subconscious mind registers it. For instance, inducing “thirst” in the audiences’ minds by keeping one frame of “ice cold cola with ice cubes” in between commercial breaks was done very successfully. Upward surge in sales of popcorn and cola were a proof of this “manipulative” phenomena. This has been one of the most controversial debate in the media and entertainment industry.
In my opinion, this really is manipulation, not persuasion. Google search fetched me movies listed on Amazon that contained subliminal cuts – mostly of horror kind – to induce more fear in the audience than what is actually shown.
Actual commercials that are shown directly play a role of persuasion in this case.
#3: Grocery checkout lanes
This example is similar to #1. When you’re at a checkout counter of any grocery/food super store, you’ll find tons of tiny and small items neatly stacked around you, staring at you! Wriggleys, Hersheys, matches, TV-guides, Coupon magazines, mint, etc – just lying there to add a few more cents or dollars to your bill in return of reducing sheer boredom of waiting through the line and watching the line almost move!
Another case of good persuasive example.
On the other hand, I’ve seen few small-time-business-owners display items strategically on their counter – based on what they want to sell or dispose off quickly as against to what you want to purchase. Few months back when a particular brand of beer was launched in India, few joints in my city started forcing that brand to the customers. The waiters would bring the first round of beers as what would be ordered by the customer. The second round, he would apologize about zero inventory such that customers would be “tricked” into buying the only available “new brand” beer. Such manipulations are not fun to (beer) bear!
#4: In-App Purchase Options
Since last few years, entertainment apps and games, whether on Facebook or Tablets or Smart phones – have mastered the art of persuasion. By giving away few items, game and app vendors seduce you into having some more fun by having an interesting feature of in-app purchase. You can purchase some “coins” or “items” or “features” as you indulge into the app experience, craving for more, while the fun lasts. FarmVille, Mafia Wars, Talking Tom, Nursery Rhymes App, EBooks App, and the latest phenomenon called Angry Birds – all have successfully used persuasion as a user experience strategy.
There are a few vendors – who have crossed the line and become manipulative; they have misleading information on the download page. You’re almost tricked into believing you got something this cool in a FREE or a cheap version. Once you have invested some time, to recover from the disappointment and self-embarrassment, you are likely to go ahead and purchase the entire thing – to feel like a victor.
#5: Online advertisements
Online advertisements are everywhere. Google makes them appear as subtle, non-intrusive information on its search pages. It’s like the checkout counters at supermarkets – prominent, but on the side. Similar positive experience is present on other popular platforms such as Facebook. However, there are many sites and online business owners who can really “control” your behavior, by not allowing to ignore or skip the ad that they pop in front of you. Sometimes, there are too many redirects – leading to more ads that are completely irrelevant from what you’re seeking. These are the ads that have almost invisible “close” or “skip” buttons.
Trying to manipulate your thoughts out of what you wanted to what they want? Not a good practice!
#6: Subscribe/Unsubscribe
The subscribe and unsubscribe actions on the Internet is – according to me the most exploited technique of both persuasion and manipulation. While registering to a new site, you’re not always sure what you are subscribing to. Similarly, after unsubscribing you may not be sure of what you really got rid off. For instance, there’s a job portal I must have unsubscribed like 10 times – I still get job notifications and emails.
I certainly wish sometimes it were as easy as a giant single button called “Unsubscribe” – enough of the forced loyalty already! You can read about this in another one of my posts dedicated to this topic of unsubscribe.
Conclusion
Both Persuasion and Manipulation play a strong role in market dynamics and how merchants and sellers communicate and sell to their respective audience. One approach is ethical and other is not.
Vishal Mehta is a usability professional who loves to play chess and has a strong eye for details. He’s also the CEO of IDYeah Creations, a UX practice in Pune, India. Vishal is also a guest blogger on UXBooth, Technorati, BlogCritics, and SAP Community Network.
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