I found an interesting study in influence and how the factor of “gut feeling” is tied to our acceptance of information being presented to us.
This new research looks at one form of influence – teaching, and one controversial topic – evolution – to determine if students accepted the concepts based on the facts presented. “The whole idea behind acceptance of evolution has been the assumption that if people understood it – if they really knew it – they would see the logic and accept it,” said study co-author David Haury, an associate professor of education at Ohio State University.
What did the researchers find? They found that neither being religious nor knowing the facts about evolution were reliable predictors of an individual’s acceptance of evolution. But “intuitive cognitions” about evolution were predictive. In other words, students knowledgeable about evolution were more likely to accept evolution if they also had strong “gut” feelings that the facts were real.
Could this be tied to the persuasiveness of the influencer? I think so. To learn more about making sure your audience is accepting whatever it is you’re communicating, check out my PowerPersuasion bootcamp, or contact me for personal coaching.
The original article here.