Chapter 1 – Levers of Influence

Perceptual contrast – the tendency to see two things that are different from one another as being more different than they actually are – is a lever of influence used by some compliance practitioners. For example, real-estate agents may show prospetive home buyers one or two unattractive options before showing them a more attractive home, which then seems more attractive than it would have if shown first. An advantage of employing this lever of influence is that its tactical use typically goes unrecognized.