A researcher had created an app for personality testing, number of people downloaded, due to facebook’s policy at that point of time, researcher was able to download people’s friend data also. It is alleged that based on data collected, people’s psychological profile is created. Using this data people opinion is changed, shifted.
What is profiling?
Lets consider following scenario:
- You need to hire someone. You create a job description requiring skills and experience to do that job.
- You have a product or service which you want to sell. You define criteria of your ideal buyer, who has a need and is able to pay.
- You want to advertise your product and services. Should you advertise to everyone or should you define attributes of your probable buyer.
- You are a world leading institution. People across the field are apply for admission. You define criteria for eligibility in getting admission.
What is common in all these example?
You have created attribute of people who may wants your product or services. This is called profiling.
People/ Organization create profiles to optimize the scare resources. If you are running for president-ship or election and you want to win. Should you be persuasive to 100% of population disregarding whether the person is your supporter? Or you will categorize voters into your supporter, opposition and people who are neither supporter or opposition to you.
Off course you will focus on people who are in between to ensure that you get maximum vote. You will run campaign to garner their support.
This is exactly what has happened in Cambridge analytica. A vendor has offered their services to someone who wanted to influence election and get their candidate of choice to win votes.
Campaigns can be of two types: Direct and indirect.
I am defining indirect campaign as something psychological where people who are campaigned may not be aware about campaign. This is where the profiling of people come into picture. Once you have define profiles and know what need to be done to get the desired result, you execute the actions to get results.
At this point of time, it is important to know that human are basically a creature of instinct. With the right kind of stimulus, they can be made to something which will come as a normal reaction for them, but which is desired result of actions of influencer.
How profiling can be used?
To understand that you need to be aware about theory of influence as given by Robert Cialdini.
Theory of influence: Cialdini‘s theory of influence is based on six key principles: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity.
Six key principles
- Reciprocity – People tend to return a favor, thus the pervasiveness of free samples in marketing. The good cop/bad cop strategy is also based on this principle. (e.g. I like the guy. He likes the other person. It means that other person is a good guy.)
- Commitment and consistency – If people commit, orally or in writing, to an idea or goal, they are more likely to honor that commitment because of establishing that idea or goal as being congruent with their self-image. Even if the original incentive or motivation is removed after they have already agreed, they will continue to honor the agreement.
- Social proof – People will do things that they see other people are doing. (e.g. everyone is doing means its acceptable.)
- Authority – People will tend to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to perform objectionable acts. (e.g. a story picked up by a newspaper which is trending with a disclaimer that they have not verified the story.)
- Liking – People are easily persuaded by other people that they like. (e.g. If a large number of people are liking /sharing, it means it true.)
- Scarcity – Perceived scarcity will generate demand. (e.g. It is not visible at certain websites. These websites are controlled by other party.)
Seventh principle: The more we identify ourselves with others, the more we are influenced by these others.
With this in background, ask yourself:
- How many times you have done something to get liked by others?
- How our behavior are shaped around certain individuals because s/he had reacted strongly in our initial encounters with them?
Internal Auditors: One of the hallmark of Internal Audit profession is “Objectivity”. How do you ensure that you are objective and free from cognitive biases?
Call for action:
Inputs/ comments/ suggestion: I welcome inputs/ comments / suggestions from readers on how to approach this issue. Feel free to correct me, educate me.
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(Disclaimer: The views expressed constitute the opinion of the author and the author alone; they do not represent the views and opinions of the author ’s employers, supervisors, nor do they represent the view of organizations, businesses or institutions the author is, or has been a part of.)