Inoculation hypothesis

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Inoculation hypothesis is defined as the idea that exposure to weak versions of a persuasive argument increases later resistance to that argument. To better explain this topic, in 1964 William McGuire came up with this: "Protecting a person's attitudes from persuasion is like inoculating the human body against disease".^[1] Inoculation hypothesis can be compared to an imunization. When the body is immunized against infection, a small dose of the particular strain is in the injection; this helps the body build a resistance to the infection.

Persuasion is closely related to inoculation hypothesis. Persuasion is a form of social influence. Persuasion guides people towards certain ideas or actions. According to Robert Cialdini, there are six "weapons of influence" when it comes to persuasion. They are, reciprocation, commitment and consistency,social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity.

[edit] References

1. ^ (Kassin, S., Fein, S. & Markus, H. R. (2008) Social Psychology(7th ed.). Houghton Mifflin: Boston.)

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