Post on 30-Nov-2014
description
Social Psychology of Social Media
Brian Cugelman, PhDOnline strategy and research consultant@cugelman
25 Feb 2012
Ryerson UniversityToronto, Canada
AGENDA1. We're Social Animals, However We Connect2. Digital Persuasion Equation3. Eight Spheres of Digital Influence4. Social Contexts, Offline & Online, Private & Public5. In-depth Look at Sphere Eight: Social Context6. Leveraging Social Context Factors for Social
Design7. Crowdsourced Analysis
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WE'RE SOCIAL ANIMALS, HOWEVER WE CONNECT
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MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
How many of these needs
can we satisfy without others?
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SHIFTING VIEWS ON THE INTERNET & SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPSBefore 2006• Internet keeps people at
home, away from friends and family
• The Internet is destroying relationships
• Using the Internet is anti-social
Beyond 2006• Pew Study, The Strength of
Internet Ties shows the net enhances social relations
• Texting helps long-distance couples stay connected (sexting too)
• Mobile phones for teens are not phones anymore, they're a social lifeline
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A QUICK POLL
• Have you ever donated to a cause, because the organization needed a bit more money to reach their funding goal?
• Have you ever purchased a product because of top star ratings? How about one star?
• Have you ever changed your views on an issue because of an online discussion?
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ASCH SOCIAL CONFORMITY EXPERIMENT (1958)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIh4MkcfJA
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THE SPREAD OF OBESITY IN A LARGE SOCIAL NETWORK OVER 32 YEARS
8http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa066082
DIGITAL PERSUASION EQUATION
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DIGITAL PERSUASION EQUATION
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
(8 spheres of digital influence)
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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CHANGE
• Agreeing to something - Saying “yes”
• Buying more widgets
• Increasing support for a social cause
• Losing trust in a politician
• Deciding to quit smoking
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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HOW CHANGE HAPPENS
Beliefs Attitudes Behaviours
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Not necessarily in this order. Behaviour can shape attitudes, and attitudes can shape beliefs.
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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MOTIVATION
Behaviour is more likely when motivators outweigh
demotivators13
(+) Motivator: Goals, carrots, benefit, drivers
(-) Demotivaror: Costs, disincentives, barriers, effort
Value proposition
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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ABILITY & EFFICACY
Ability or self-efficacy dictate what you will and won't do
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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AbilityWhat you can or
can't do
Self-efficacyWhat you believe
you can or can't doSkill Confidence
Learned helplessness
TRIGGER (COVERT)
Triggering chickens with recordings of
chicks chirping
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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Triggering humans with recordings of
people laughing (canned laughter)
Trigger. Reaction.
Chicken acts friendly towards a
threat
People laugh longer and harder, even at
bad jokes
TRIGGER (OVERT)
Call to action (CTA)PromptRequest
OfferProposal
Sales pitch
Click Here
Act now while quantities last.
The first 100 callers get a free gold
plated pen valued at over $50.
CALL 1 800 STUPID GIFT.
You were poked by Bob. Poke Bob back!
Download your free report
Click on this link now!
"Wow! That shirt makes you look 20 years younger. Would you like
to pay by cash or credit?"
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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EIGHT SPHERES OF DIGITAL INFLUENCE
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PERSUASIVECOMMUNICATION MODEL
Cugelman, B., Thelwall, M., & Dawes, P. (2009). Communication-Based Influence Components Model. Paper presented at the Persuasive 2009, Claremont.
This system can integrate hundreds of influence components, but we'll just focus on the eight spheres.
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Motivation Persuasive Experiences
Trigger ChangeAbility & Efficacy
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1. SOURCE
What it is: •The person, organization, or group behind a website, social media profile, ad, or message
Key principles: •Appealing to source credibility boosts persuasiveness
•Build on the three components of credibility:
1. Expertise2. Trustworthiness3. Visual appeal
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WHICH PHOTO CAN INCREASE TEXT CREDIBILITY?
NGUYEN, H. & MASTHOFF, J. (2007) Is it me or what I say? Source image and persuasion. Persuasive 07. Springer.
No photo
CREDIBILITY AND IMAGERY
Readers perceptions of text credibility is influenced by photo credibility
Don't underestimate the contribution of visuals towards perceived credibility
Photo Goodwill Trust
High credibility Higher Higher
No photo Middle Middle
Low credibility Lower Lower
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Featured by X, Y, Z.
Low credibility websites can borrow credibility from higher credibility sources.
2. MESSAGE ENCODING AND DECODING
What it is:•How you express an idea and how the person interprets it
•Expression can be spoken, written, symbolic
Key principles:•How you express something can strengthen or weaken what you say
•Encode messages so the audience can rapidly understand them
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Place the CTA where most eyes land
3. MEDIA CHANNEL
What it is:•The various media used to express something
•Eg. Written words, spoken dialogue, photos, video, interactive websites, email
Key principles:•Select the media channels most suited to your target audience
•Make it easy for them engage with the media
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4. AUDIENCE
What it is:•The person or organization you are trying to engage and influence
•It comprises their demographics, traits, and psychology
Key principles:•Understand your audiences' motivations and psychological hot buttons
•Frame interaction around motivations and leverage hot buttons
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HOW THE PSYCHOLOGY OF 30 HEALTH CHANGING WEBSITES INFLUENCES USERS' BEHAVIOUR
CUGELMAN, B., THELWALL, M., & DAWES, P. (2011) Online interventions for social marketing health behavior change campaigns: A meta-analysis of psychological architectures and
adherence factors. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1), e17. http://www.jmir.org/2011/1/e17/
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5. FEEDBACK ENCODING AND DECODING
What it is:•How the audience expresses and transmits their feedback to you, and how you interpret it
•Some of this is contributed voluntarily, but most is encoded automatically
Key principles:•Automate data collection whenever possible
•Incentivize requests for user information
•Just get what you need initially, then incentive data collection over time
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6. FEEDBACK MESSAGE
What it is:•The information an audience shares with the source that is used to tailor messages•In other words, any data collected about a user that is processed and acted upon•This is the foundation for relationship building
Key principles:•Leverage user data to tailor personalized and relevant messages
•Mine trends among populations to build processes that help individuals
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7. INTERVENTION MESSAGE
What it is:•What you express or do
•In other words, the tangible communication or action you express to an audience
Key principles:•Build your messages around your audiences' motivation, make it easy, and leverage persuasion
•Research will help you identify the influence components that matter
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8. SOCIAL CONTEXT
What it is:•The social environment in which a relationship occurs
•This includes society, whether virtual or "real"
Key principles:•Demonstrate group behaviour to leverage social norms and pressures
•Play on our competitive nature and scarcity
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The rest of this presentation will only look at this sphere.
SOCIAL CONTEXTS, OFFLINE & ONLINE, PRIVATE & PUBLIC
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SOCIAL CONTEXTS
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Offline Online
Classroom E-learning platform
Shouting out to people on the street Twitter
Sharing thoughts with friends during a night out Sharing thoughts Facebook
Academic conference networking Email discussion group
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SPACES
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PrivatePublicControlled
Access
Discussion group
SMS (txting) Lined in
PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC CONCERNS
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Living alone on a desert island
With a group of close & trusted
friends
In a large complex social environment
(school or work)
Care about your looks? Probably not Possibly Probably
Worry about your social status?
Probably not Possibly Probably
Care what others think? Possibly Possibly Probably
Willingness to say whatever you
think?Probably Probably not
SURVEILLANCE: MAKING PRIVATE MOMENTS PUBLIC
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Research biasSocially desirable
answers
Crime preventionDeterrence
EmployabilityNever posting
anything that could harm our reputation
Cameras | Internet usage tracking | Friends posting &
tagging your photo on Facebook.
70% of employers have rejected applicants due to online information.
Surveillance moves us from a private to a public social context.
Surfing the net at work
Cautious about the sites we visit
IN-DEPTH LOOK AT SPHERE EIGHT: SOCIAL CONTEXT
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CHANGE AGENTS: INTERPERSONAL & SOCIAL INFLUENCE
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Social proofThe principle that we determine what's correct by following what other people
show to be correct.
Interpersonal influenceThe persuasive experience resulting from
one-on-one interaction.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN PERSUADED OF
SOMETHING BECAUSE OF SOCIAL PROOF?
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SOCIAL PROOF EXAMPLES
• A 10 out of 10 star produce is rated 500 times. No doubt, it must be amazing.
• A nightclub forces people to line-up outside for hours. If they're enduring that to get in, it must be great.
• The "most popular" download software must be the "best".
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SOCIAL PROOF AND DONATIONS
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$1.50 $50 +
Opaque: people can't see the social norm
Empty: people don't see the social
norm in action
Primed: Starter tips show people
what to do
Donationswww.socialmediacafe.ca
Donationswww.socialmediacafe.ca
Donationswww.socialmediacafe.ca
MODELLING BEHAVIOUR
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DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS: HOW THINGS SPREAD
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Opinion Leaders
ROGERS, E. (2003) Diffusion of innovations. (5 ed.). New York: Free Press.
ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION
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Media Channel
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3
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Older, eroded model
TWO-STEP COMMUNICATION FLOW
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Media Channel
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2
3
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Opinion LeaderKats and Lazerfeld (1955)
MULTI-STEP COMMUNICATION FLOW
Media Channel
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2
3
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Opinion Leaders
Opponent Opinion Leader
SupporterOpinion Leader
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Slightly updated model
VIRAL DIFFUSION
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS AND INFLUENCE
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Common influence metrics• Degree Centrality• Closeness• Betweenness• Coreness
TOP WEBSITES ARE SOCIAL OR USE SOCIAL ALGORITHMS1. Google (Search)2. Facebook (Social media)3. YouTube (Social media)4. Yahoo! (Search)5. Windows Live (Search)6. Baidu.com (Search)7. Wikipedia (Social media)8. Blogger.com (Social
media)9. Twitter (Social media)10.QQ.COM (Search)
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•5 Search•5 Social media
Based on Alexa ranking retrieved 12 Oct 2010
THE SAME RECOMMENDATION CAN SPREAD AS TRUSTED ADVICE OR SPAM
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE
I don't like spam!
Trusted recommendation
Dishonestmarketing spam
or
CREDIBILITY ASSESSMENT AND ACTIVE TRUST
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3. Advice from an unknown source
2. Advice from a trusted person, but
not an expert
1. Advice from a trusted expert
Credibility perception
High
Medium
Low
How recommendations are regarded
Valuable advice
Promising, but not fully
trustworthy
Marketing spam
A study on how source credibility and trust relate to user behaviour: Cugelman, B., Thelwall, M. & Dawes, P. (2009) The dimensions of website credibility and their relation to active trust and behavioural impact. Communications of the Association for Information Systems. http://wlv.openrepository.com/wlv/bitstream/2436/85974/4/Cugelman_2009_website_credibility.pdf
SPAMMING REDUCES DIFFUSION
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Dishonest spamming techniques undermine viral diffusion
Differential Adaptive Diffusion: Understanding Diversity and Learning Whom to Trust in Viral Marketing
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SCARCITY
People assign more value to things that are less
available.
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Groucho Marx
“I don’t want to belong to any club that
will accept people like
me as a member.”
LEVERAGING SOCIAL CONTEXT FACTORS FOR SOCIAL DESIGN
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FROM SUPPER TO SOCIAL INFLUENCE
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Burger and fries Chicken Burger Chicken Salad
Bun
Beef patty
Chicken breast
Fries
Salad
FROM SUPPER TO SOCIAL INFLUENCE
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Beliefs Attitudes Behaviours
Pay influencers to push your idea
Testimonials from trusted experts
Show how popular it is Incentivize personal affiliate marketing
Make it rare and time bound
PSYCHOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Above the surface• What you see and experience• The total effect
Below the surface• Social proof• Modelling behaviour• Influencer endorsement• Viral spread leveraging
social trust• Scarcity
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BEWARE OF UNETHICAL ABUSES OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE
• Fake positive testimonials• Fake negative ratings of competitor
products• Tricking people into inviting their friends to
join social networks• Affiliate marketing portals that
masquerade as impartial and honest advisors
• An important email from a fried, which is really a virus exploiting your social trust
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CROWDSOURCED ANALYSIS
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THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS PRESENTATION
This presentation is based on a multi-year study of online influence, that was published in the world's leading scientific
journal on eHealth, mHealth and medical informatics.
Get the study here:http://www.jmir.org/2011/1/e17/
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Brian Cugelman, PhDOnline strategy and research consultant
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www.alterspark.com
@AlterSpark alterspark alterspark alterspark
Want to leverage psychology to make your websites,
campaigns, or digital products more engaging and
persuasive? Get in touch.