But sometimes there is a need to change peoples’ attitudes. In fact, attitude influencers are at work all around you, continuously. They have been called the “Hidden Persuaders”. Can you guess what I’m talking about?

The advertising industry. Advertising exists to persuade you to change your behaviour, and instead of using product A, wants you to use product B. To do this, they use a wide range of psychological techniques.

Think about adverts you have seen on TV recently. Most ads show attractive and high status people giving persuasive messages. By also considering the listener’s original position, an advert - or you - can present a persuasive means of changing attitude. Think about the people you have met who have had a major impact on our attitudes. What were their characteristics?