Persuasion

The Art of Changing Worldviews

Bibliographic Data

ID7534769
AuthorsSimone Galperti (Department of Economics, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093 (email: ), corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume109
Issue3
Pages996-1031
Publication date2019-02-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Economic Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-8282 • E-ISSN: 1944-7981
PublisherAmerican Economic Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1257/aer.20161441
OpenAlexW2919675284
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited32

Persuaders often face the task of changing their listeners’ world-view, which may involve conveying evidence that disconfirms that view. It has been shown, however, that people are often reluctant to change their worldviews. These aspects of persuasion cannot be captured in the standard Bayesian framework. The paper identifies the constraints, opportunities, and trade-offs of persuading people to change worldview. It finds necessary and sufficient conditions under which it is optimal for persuaders to do so. It also shows when and how they conceal disconfirming evidence and take advantage of their listener’s existing worldview. (JEL D82, D83, D91

Bayesian probability · Cognitive psychology · Economics · Face (sociological concept · Management · Microeconomics · Persuasion · Positive economics · Social science · Sociology · Task (project management · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies · Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence · Psychology · Psychology of Social Influence · Social Psychology

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