Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

490 CHAPTER 11 Social Psychologytheir commitment to make the purchase even though it is at ahigher price (Cialdini, 2000).Defending Against Persuasion TechniquesHow can you reduce the likelihood that you’ll be manipulatedinto making a decision that may not be in your best interest?Here are three practical suggestions.1. Sleep on it.Persuasive transactions typically occur quickly. Part of this is ourown doing. We’ve finally decided to go look at a new laptop,automobile, or whatever, so we’re psychologically primed to buythe product. The persuader uses this psychological momentumto help coax you into signing on the dotted line right then andthere. It’s only later, of course, that you sometimes have secondthoughts. So when you think you’ve got the deal you want, tellthe persuader that you always sleep on important decisionsbefore making a final commitment.The sleep-on-it rule often provides an opportunity to discoverwhether the persuader is deliberately trying to pressure ormanipulate you. If the persuader responds to your sleep-on-itsuggestion by saying something like, “This offer is good fortoday only,” then it’s likely that he or she is afraid that your commitmentto the deal will crumble if you think about it toocarefully or look elsewhere.2. Play devil’s advocate.List all of the reasons why you should not buy the product ormake a particular commitment (Pratkanis & Aronson, 2001).Arguing against the decision will help activate your critical thinkingskills. It’s also helpful to discuss important decisions with afriend, who might be able to point out disadvantages that youhave overlooked.3. When in doubt, do nothing.Learn to trust your gut feelings when something doesn’t feelquite right. If you feel that you’re being psychologically pressuredor cornered, you probably are. As a general rule, if you feelany sense of hesitation, lean toward the conservative side and donothing. If you take the time to think things over, you’ll probablybe able to identify the source of your reluctance.FOXTROT © 1999 Bill Amend. Reprinted with permission ofUNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. All rights reserved.