Social Control: Dark persuasion

Dark persuasion, as discussed by Joel Dimsdale, refers to the use of psychological tactics to influence individuals without their conscious awareness. This can involve coercive methods, emotional manipulation, and the exploitation of cognitive biases. The goal is often to control or alter a person’s beliefs and actions, making it a powerful tool in various contexts, from politics to marketing.

Coercive Persuasion: This involves using pressure or threats to change someone’s beliefs. For example, in some cults, members may be isolated from their families and subjected to intense emotional manipulation to ensure compliance.

Emotional Appeals: Marketers often use emotional triggers to persuade consumers. For instance, advertisements that evoke feelings of nostalgia or fear can lead to impulsive buying decisions.

Social Proof: This technique leverages the behaviour of others to influence individuals. For example, if a product is marketed as being popular among peers, individuals may feel compelled to purchase it to fit in.

Misinformation and Propaganda: This involves spreading false or misleading information to shape public opinion. Historical examples include state-sponsored propaganda during wartime, where governments manipulate facts to rally support or demonize and dehumanise opponents.

North Korea’s Conditioning: Dimsdale references the extreme psychological conditioning used in North Korea, where citizens are subjected to state propaganda and isolation from outside influences, effectively brainwashing them into loyalty to the regime.

Political Campaigns: During elections, candidates often employ dark persuasion tactics, such as fear-mongering or spreading misinformation about opponents, to sway public opinion and manipulate voter behaviour.

Pavlovian Techniques

The theory draws parallels to Ivan Pavlov’s experiments, where conditioned responses were created through repeated stimuli. In modern contexts, this can be seen in how social media platforms use algorithms to condition users’ preferences and behaviours. These involve:

Classical Conditioning: This is the foundation of Pavlov’s work, where a neutral stimulus (like a bell) is paired with a biologically potent stimulus (like food) to create a conditioned response (like salivation in dogs).

Key Elements:

• Unconditioned Stimulus (US): A stimulus that naturally triggers a response (e.g., food).
• Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that, after association with the US, triggers a conditioned response (e.g., the sound of a bell).
• Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to the conditioned stimulus (e.g., salivating at the sound of the bell).

Parallels Between Dark Persuasion and Pavlovian Techniques

Repetition and Association: Just as Pavlov’s dogs learned to associate the bell with food, individuals can be conditioned to associate certain images, words, or sounds with specific emotions or actions in dark persuasion.

Emotional Triggers: Dark persuasion often employs repeated stimuli that evoke strong emotional responses, making the target more susceptible to influence.

Manipulation of Perception: By strategically using conditioned responses, persuaders can shape how individuals perceive situations or choices, often leading them to act against their better judgment.

Dark persuasion is a powerful reminder of how susceptible we can be to manipulation, especially in an age where information is abundant and easily disseminated. Understanding these techniques can empower individuals to recognize and resist such influences in their own lives.