SPOILER ALERT: Do not read this post until you have read the three posts before this one (the two about the superhero role-playing game and the one titled "Being a Superhero in the Real World"). Then scroll down to see the rest.
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The post titled "Being a Superhero in the Real World" was a demonstration of several scientifically proven persuasion techniques.
The superhero theme of the post, as well as its placement immediately following two posts about superhero role-playing games, is intended to take advantage of the real scientific result that getting subjects to think about superheroes makes them more likely to volunteer for charity.
The post itself was a demonstration of the "SPICE model" of persuasion, described in a recent article in Scientific American. SPICE stands for Simplicity, Perceived Self-Interest, Incongruity, Confidence, and Empathy. The four bullet points under "but wait, there's more" appeal to simplicity, self-interest, confidence, and empathy respectively. The overall tone of the post, mixing serious real-life issues with mimicry of TV salespersons and discussions of superheroes, is an example of incongruity.
(But seriously, you should definitely read Peter Singer's stuff. Even if you don't agree with all of it, the issues he raises are definitely thought-provoking.)
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1 comment:
Great story (did it all emerge organically from the role playing?) and noble cause. Of course if you are going to give away that amount of money you need to be careful to make sure it is being spent in a way that is effective. Some charities are wasteful and inefficient and others do very good work. If the point of giving is to make others better off and not just assuage your own conscience, you need to give where you think it can really help.
But you've definitely made me think more about how much I give to charity. Mom and I will have to talk about the "pledge".
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