"I think people are influenced as much as they allow." The assumptions here are that people are rational and have an unlimited length of time to analyze their decisions. Trouble is that both assumptions are incorrect. We, people, are mostly unaware of our goals, attitudes, drives and the subtle ways those goals, attitudes and desires can be affected. It is physically impossible to be constantly aware of all motivations, which shape our decisions.
For instance, I will not be swayed to buy Rolex, when I see ads for the watch. However the real goal of those commercials in mass distribution media is not to make people to buy them en mass (masses cannot afford Rolexes), but rather to inform the common folks that the owners of those goods are displaying higher fitness indicators; to affect our attitude towards the owners (and to let the owners know that the folks are informed what Rolex is)*. Can I resist this influence? Somewhat; but hardly, unless I understand the purpose of these ads. Is it ethical to influence uninformed people? We don't have a choice really -- people, including us, interaction designers, will always remain somewhat uninformed (it is physically impossible etc. - see above). Is it possible to avoid influencing? Not unless you relocate into a black hole -- that would make for a very lonely, if brief, life though. -- Oleh Kovalchuke Interaction Design is design of time http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm * More information on various fitness indicators and the ways they influence us in "Spent" by Geoffrey Miller: http://tinyurl.com/luadnc On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 11:42 AM, Jennifer R Vignone < jennifer.r.vign...@jpmorgan.com> wrote: > "Influence" and "coerce" are different in that coerce has the notion of > force associated with its meaning. > Advertising may influence but I don't think it coerces. > Would you fall into submission so easily to a commercial? > What is "maximum persuasion"? > I think people are influenced as much as they allow. > "Persuade" implies using an argument or reasoning, hopefully backed by > fact, which is not necessarily "influence" or "coercion". > There are usability issues with how words are being switched which > confounds this discussion. > > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > This email is confidential and subject to important disclaimers and > conditions including on offers for the purchase or sale of > securities, accuracy and completeness of information, viruses, > confidentiality, legal privilege, and legal entity disclaimers, > available at http://www.jpmorgan.com/pages/disclosures/email. > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
