Courtesy ASME’s Affinity Partner, American Management Association (AMA)

A number of years ago, Carl I. Hovland published the results of a series of experiments regarding persuasion that are still of value. In essence, the experiments proved that:

1. It’s more effective to present both sides of an issue.
2. It’s better, when the pros and cons of an issue are being discussed, to present the communicator’s favored viewpoint last.
3. Listeners remember the end better than the beginning, particularly when they are unfamiliar with the argument.
4. Listeners remember the beginning and end of a presentation better than the middle.
5. Conclusions should be stated explicitly rather than left for the audience to determine.
6. Repetition of a message leads to learning and acceptance.
7. A message that first arouses a need and then provides the information to satisfy it, is remembered best.
8. When two messages must be delivered, one of which is desirable to the audience and the other undesirable, the more desirable message should be presented first.
9. A message that requires the greatest amount of opinion change is likely to produce the most change.
10. Learning and acceptance are improved if stress is placed on similarities of position rather than differences.
11. Agreement is facilitated when the desirability of agreement is stressed.
12. Agreement on controversial issues is improved if they are tied to issues on which agreement can be easily reached.