Cialdini

Robert B. Cialdini (born 1945) is an American social psychologist and professor of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University. His research focuses on influence, persuasion, and compliance, and he is widely cited for identifying universal principles underlying successful influence attempts. He earned a PhD in social psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.

His best-known work is Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, first published in 1984. The book outlines six principles of influence: reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. These principles have influenced fields such as marketing, sales, negotiations, fundraising, and public policy, and have been widely discussed in both academic and popular contexts. He expanded the framework in later works, including Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade (2016), which argues that the timing and context of a message can affect its effectiveness before any request is made.

Cialdini has also co-founded Influence at Work, a consulting and training organization that applies his principles to business and public affairs. His work has been influential in teaching ethical persuasion and has sparked discussions about manipulation and ethical use of influence.