Influencing Attitudes & Behaviors for Social Change Neil Wollman Unpublished Paper

• Listening to those you are trying to reach
• Influencing Attitudes
• Promoting Behaviors
• Tactics
• Author contact info

In your strategizing, you'll need to determine

• a) what are the causes of the problem,
• b) what is the solution, and
• c) who has the power to make the needed change--both what advocates can apply pressure, and what groups actually set the policy you want to change.

Work your outreach campaign, fundraising appeal, etc. around the principles by starting first with those ideas and seeing which ones and how they can best be utilized. Such an effort likely means eliminating certain of your ventures so that the ones you do are done better--hopefully bringing more success and perhaps an expanded program later. You will also need to judge whether you consider some of the below ideas to be too manipulative or unethical. Finally, be aware that most of the ideas below derive from work in psychology; there are other social change perspectives and principles that would also be helpful (and sometimes necessary) in order for you to reach certain goals (or realize certain others may be relatively unobtainable given current circumstances), be the knowledge from political science, sociology, communications, marketing, religion, the arts, or from the work of activists who have learned from practical experience.

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Listening to those you are trying to reach during conversations

For a number of reasons it is important to listen to the views (and understand the feelings) of those you are hoping will take on your political perspective or become involved in promoting your cause. These reasons include the following:

• Listening affirms the people you are speaking to; it acknowledges they have something legitimate to say, as do you.
• Really listening to their view on a topic, and the rationale behind it, makes it more likely they will feel free to explore their stance.
• Listening makes it more likely they will truly listen to what you have to say.
• Listening to people allows you to know what they really feel, and why. This information is relevant to framing your own message during the discussion or for some later time.

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Influencing Attitudes

(though most of the below is relevant to attempts to influence others' attitudes, it is certainly true that we learn from honest dialogue with others in which both parties are open to change)

Aspects of the message you present:

• Besides any facts you present, give vivid, dramatic examples and images supporting your case (thus, e.g., rather than just giving statistics, focus even more on specific examples/images of people hurt because of money spent for the military rather than social services).
• Link your cause with American values of freedom, equality, individuality, family, fairness, caring, privacy, opportunity, etc.
• Contrast your position with less favorable alternatives;judgements are made on a relative scale. And anything that is scarce is usually seen as more attractive, be it a commodity in short supply or a proposed policy that can only be adopted for a limited time.
• Give examples of credible others who support your position (experts, trustworthy individuals, and those speaking against their own self interest).
• Create good or bad moods by associating your cause with words, labels, or ideas that bring about particular emotions (as President Reagan did when he said that his policies were "in the tradition of John Kennedy"; or as Central American activists did when they said that we "didn't want to have another Vietnam in El Salvador"; or you might do so in framing messages to an audience, such as "Do you support the constitutional right to ...?). Well conceived use of symbols/slogans can be powerful.
• If you want to utilize fear in your message, the threat must seem real, people must feel that they are able to take on the new behavior or attitude you propose, and they must feel that by doing so, they can alleviate their fear.
• Repeat important messages over time, but with new twists.

Basing messages around the current opinions of the listener:

• Give incentives as to why it is beneficial for them, personally, to adopt your position--the topic needs to be made relevant to their lives. And use the "language" of the audience you are addressing, framing messages in their terms.
• Be aware that on issues of concern to people, the quality of your arguments will be most important and the audience will be motivated to follow those arguments closely. However, those with only limited concern for the issue (likely the majority of your audience) will probably not really think through your arguments until they become relevant, and, until then, more peripheral factors are sometimes even more important. For example, do you seem believable and knowledgeable? Do you possess "eyewitness testimony" on a topic? Are you associated with people your audience respect and can identify with? Do they see you as similar to themselves? Do you seem to like the audience? Are you friendly, appealing, physically attractive?--we are particularly influenced by those we like. Be aware, however, that such peripherally-based attitude change is more superficial and less long lasting. When a topic is of limited concern to people, more arousing and less rational approaches are, in general, better. Except when dealing with "true intellectuals", arguments should not be complex.
• Rather then changing someone's current attitude, your chances are better if you try to form a new opinion, or tie your message into values the person and surrounding culture already have--thus do background research if you can. Try to bring out and reinforce aspects of your audience's views that are consistent with your perspective. Have some points of agreement, for a message differing too far from someone's present attitude will likely be rejected, especially on topics important to the person.
• If you can gain such knowledge, gear your message to the reason(s) why your audience has the opinion it does on a topic. What function does the attitude serve for them--can your message serve the same function? And, very importantly, what general needs do they have that you might appeal to and further emphasize to them, while asserting how you can meet those needs if they take on particular new attitudes (or behaviors)? And perhaps you can discover what factors or forces help maintain their current attitude/behavior and how you might counteract that influence.
• Bring out inconsistencies ("cognitive dissonance") in people's attitudes/behaviors, particularly as they might relate to their self image, if you have an option (a new attitude or behavior) for them consistent with your position that they validly see as a way out of their inconsistency.

Aspects of the source, the interaction, or the setting:

• An audience which is "active" while taking in your message is more likely to be affected:
  • ask people to really consider your position/arguments for a moment
  • request that listeners at a speech think of ways that racial harmony might come to the community
  • inquire about how a peaceful settlement might be achieved in a world hot spot
  • direct people to imagine how they would feel if they acquired the new attitude or behavior you propose
  • ask rhetorical questions.
• Groups having a minority (non-majority) view on a topic are more likely to win others over if they are consistent over time (though, with new twists), and they appear confident in their views.
• Attempt to affect leaders of groups whose members you want to influence.
• In conversations, avoid arrogance and judging, and monitor your and your listener's nonverbals.

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Promoting behaviors which will help your cause

(be it volunteering, voting, practicing environmentally sound behavior, talking to friends about an issue, going to events, or giving money)

• It is most important to influence the attitude toward the particular behavior you desire of people, not just their general attitude about the political issue involved; e.g., rather than (just) affecting someone's attitude on preserving the rain forest and then assuming that a favorable attitude would lead them to write to Congress or to volunteer time to work on the issue, direct attempts, even more importantly, to why it is important to write or to volunteer time.
• Make it as easy as you can for people to take the actions you desire, with various options having as many incentives and as few negatives as possible [(e.g., you can limit the time involvement for volunteers by recruiting many people to each give only a couple of hours a month, with a very structured task, and letting them know how their part fits (and is needed) in the total picture]. Again, there is need to direct efforts to more than merely establishing the general worthiness of your cause; personal motivations dictate or influence political behavior, and except for the truly committed, many people need more incentive than just hoping to reach a political goal. Specifically relating to volunteers, there are also a number of ways to make the nature of their work be more rewarding. Key elements for maintaining participation include the following:
  • giving volunteers responsibility and proper training
  • rewarding them in some manner
  • utilizing volunteer talents, and
  • trying to meet their needs and values by giving them options for what to work on. Very importantly, for any type political behavior you wish someone to do, have a system established so that the person benefits materially or psychologically after taking that action, be it volunteering, doing environmentally conscious behavior, giving money, or otherwise. For some actions, it is good to also give feedback on how well the person is doing the behavior.
• Emphasize the connection between your work, the desired action you wish, and their life's concerns (if you know that); the more important an attitude/issue is in helpers' lives, the more likely they will act upon it; people do not have time to act on every issue they have an opinion on.
• Promote the idea that people can do the action you desire--it is within their power; the more effective people feel, the more likely they will participate. Convey the idea that your goals are attainable through their help and the help of people in general. The goals you set can even be limited in nature, as long as their attainment helps lead to the final political goal sought. Show, when possible, that efforts regarding what you desire are already underway.
• People are more likely to go from a positive attitude on an issue to an actual behavior if the action is viewed as socially desirable; i.e., other people would not look unfavorably upon such a behavior.
• The more an audience thinks about an issue or the more readily an attitude comes to people's minds, the more likely their favorable attitude will lead to relevant actions. Thus, besides other ways of doing so, remind people of their favorable attitude on an issue.
• Get people to take small actions relevant to an issue--sign a petition, do an hour of volunteer work, give just a little money, etc. Doing so makes it more likely they will participate to a greater extent in the future. And changes in behavior will also then influence one's attitude even further in the same direction, leading, sometimes, to further behavioral change (One of the stronger influencers of attitudes and behavior is previous behavioral change, in whatever noncoercive way that occurs, and even in absence of any original attitude change.) People may very well do something small if they have first had to turn down a large request.
• A commitment to taking a certain behavior (or setting a goal), particularly if it is made public, is an especially powerful way of increasing the likelihood that they will do that behavior later (be it agreeing to read some material, think about your argument, or take some small action).
• People are more likely to help on a project if you have helped them in someway previously.
• Encourage their feeling some responsibility to get involved; they are helping those in need--both you and those citizens hurting because of the political situation you are working on.
• Assert, at times, that they are the kind of people who are very helpful or like to get involved; they are more likely to acquire such a self-identity.
• Tell them about or have them see others doing the kinds of behaviors you wish them do do, especially others who are similar to themselves.

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Depending on your situation, you may wish to utilize certain of the many ways and modes of getting out your message

• distribute or post fliers or fact-based postal sized cards in public places or on windshields
• do letters to the editor or "op eds" for newspapers or "speakout" editorials on local TV/radio
• seek the window/floor space of a business for displays
• have speakers give talks or show videos/films at service clubs, churches, schools, etc.
• stage community forums or debates
• hold neighborhood potlucks and informal discussions
• give materials to schools and churches
• perform guerrilla theatre
• paint murals on walls
• have a table/booth in public places (malls, flea markets, street corners) to distribute literature and have passersby write letters
• canvass a neighborhood
• prepare pictorial or other displays for libraries, schools, museums, etc.
• insert cartoons, newsclippings, brief articles in correspondence
• distribute videos of talks, workshops, conferences
• arrange a political parade or make a float for a parade
• get popular personalities to speak out
• set up political fairs
• hold regular vigils
• list events in community calendars
• conduct a regular Sunday school class
• start a political essay or poetry contest
• stage a political play
• hold a housemeeting and meal to discuss issues with others
• get a cereal manufacturer to use the back of a box for a political concern
• walk around a busy street with a political poster on your chest and back
• put up political signs on lawns and in home windows
• place political stickers on cars, home mailboxes, letters, etc.
• set up political literature boxes at schools and churches
• get textbook publishers and local libraries to cover a progressive political agenda
• establish a church political library
• get a church to become involved in particular political concerns
• get local radio stations to sponsor music- related political events (concerts, dances, festivals)
• call radio talk shows
• place notices, articles, ads, inserts, classifieds, in church, club, or school newspapers, newsletters, or "trading post" publications
• do a billboard or bus shelter display
• get a newspaper to have a progressive political column
• regularly send progressive political materials and ideas to local media
• get local libraries to have a progressive political display or book collection
• get a skywriter to do a political message at a big event
• print political messages on cards, mugs, calendars, scratchpads, stationery, order forms/invoices, business cards, matchbooks, etc.
• prepare a political public service announcement
• hold press conferences with public figures
• present programs on public access TV
• stage unusual events
• sponsor teams
• utilize electronic mail/bulletin boards/home pages to organize, get word out to the activist community, or contact government officials
• call/write elected officials.