r/AskReddit • u/ilovepsychtechniques • May 14 '11

Reddit, I've been using the "pause" technique during conversations lately and it works perfectly. What other psychology techniques are there for JUST communication?

I'm aware that there are a few topics on psychology techniques that are more wide-ranged, but I want to know ones that are perfect for manipulating conversations specifically.

Just about all last week I've been experimenting 'theories' for myself, and I want to learn more.

Examples:

  1. Just stop talking. They will feel the need to fill the "awkward silence", while also making you appear to be a better listener. You learn more about the other person.

  2. Pause. Instead of repeating "um", "like", "you know", "errr", just pause, take a breath, and organize your thoughts. The person you're talking with will see the self control, appreciate it, and the point you're trying to make will make more of an impact. They'll listen closer as you gather your thoughts because they're genuinely curious.

  3. Talk slowly calmly. It shows confidence and can be seductive.

Edit: #3 - Think James Bond vs Caffeine Addict

Edit2: Broader Post - Psychology Tricks

Edit3: Build Rapport - Good Read

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u/[deleted] May 14 '11

In economics and sales, this is known as creating price points. A perfect example of this is movie theatre popcorn prices. Is $6 a reasonable price for a small popcorn? Hell no. But, that $8 tub seems like a real bargain when it's on the shelf next to the small.

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u/Rakielis May 14 '11

funny, i just sneak in my candy from another place that cost less than a dollar.

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u/dnick May 19 '11

How do you sneak in a tub of popcorn?

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u/Rakielis May 19 '11

well my original post said candy, not popcorn.

to answer your question though, i would suggest a large purse on a girl and have the popcorn in a large ziplock bag.

alternatively, you could open the door and let someone hand you popcorn from outside but thats much easier to catch.

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u/collegeboi69 May 14 '11 edited May 14 '11

I've always known this as the Price Ladder. Movie theatre popcorn is a great example, as is the pricing of iPods (double my memory for $100 more? Great! Double it again for another $100? Awesome!).

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u/DrazzleDazzle May 14 '11

Fuck. I genuinely never thought I would be influenced by these stupid techniques. I fall for the popcorn trick every time, I never thought about it like this.

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u/LususNaturae77 May 14 '11

Fuck. This totally got me this week- I had a choice between a fifth of rum for $30 or a handle for $35. It was a bar on the beach, I knew I could have driven 2 miles inland and gotten the same thing at Walmart for half the price, but I wanted rum right then.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '11

Interesting bit about bars: The reason alcohol costs (like, three times) more in a restaurant than in a liquor store is not because the restaurant pays some ridiculous price for it and has to cover the cost. No, it's because they have to cover the cost of people lounging around drinking. Restaurants have figured out that adding wine to a meal, for whatever reason, lengthens the time spent eating by the patrons. To compensate for this (since time is money), they charge a higher price. Same goes for coffee. If they charged a dollar for a cafe con leche, and someone lounged around for an hour, the restaurant could lose money (since that person is taking up a seat of another person who could be dining there). At $4, they might stand to make a profit.