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Read This Post F*ckface

We all know, at least at the margins, that there is a right way to phrase requests.  Telling your employee to, "Print some copies, monkey," probably isn't the best way to achieve compliance.  And, unsurprisingly, there is a science to phraseology.  Some phrases are scientifically-proven to be persuasive than others.  For example: Behavioral scientist Ellen Langer and her colleagues decided to put the persuasive power of [the word because] to the test.  In one study, Langer arranged for a stranger to approach someone waiting in line to use a photocopier and simply ask, "Excuse me, I have five pages.  May I use the Xerox machine?"  Faced with the direct request to cut ahead in this line, 60 percent of the people were willing to agree to allow the stranger to go ahead of them...continue to full post

Full post as published by Crime & Federalism on December 23, 2008 (boomark / email).