How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Value Appeal

Techniques > General persuasion > Kellerman and Cole's 64 Strategies > Value Appeal

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Get people to do as you ask them with an appeal to their values.

Point out what they believe to be important in life. You might even be able to elicit this from them first. Then link this to the action that you want them to take.

Example

Do you think it's important to be truthful? Yes? Well can you please tell me the truth.

If you think it's important to help people who can't help themselves, please donate to our cause.

We both don't like risking our money, so I think we should keep it in the bank.

Discussion

Values are sets of rules for how we should behave in different situations. We all have values and share many with other people. Values are often more important for people than external laws, policies and so on. They have been internalized to the point where the person believes them as absolute rules of right and wrong.

Sometimes people do things that are against their values, perhaps excusing themselves with a temporary rationale. However, if they are reminded of their values beforehand, then they are far more likely to stick to these.

Value appeals work best for moral, ethical or otherwise socially-oriented decisions. Use them when you want the person to be good and to avoid doing things they may later regret.

Value Appeal is the 60th of the 64 compliance-gaining strategies described by Kellerman and Cole.

See also

Values

Kellermann, K. & Cole, T. (1994). Classifying compliance gaining messages: Taxonomic disorder and strategic confusion. Communication Theory, 1, 3-60