CODEXCard 4 of 7 · 7 Principles of Influence
Authority bias
A title shortcuts the question.
Authority bias, which Robert Cialdini calls the authority principle, is the habit of deferring to people who appear to be experts. When someone with a title, a uniform or an impressive office makes a claim, we tend to stop examining the claim and start trusting the person.
This shortcut exists for good reasons. We cannot check everything ourselves, and following real experts usually serves us well. The danger is that the signals of authority are easy to fake or borrow. Cialdini points to cues like titles, clothing and status symbols, and he discusses Stanley Milgram's well-known obedience experiments, where many ordinary people followed instructions from an authority figure even when they believed they were causing harm. The cue alone can do the persuading.
The mistake is swinging the other way and refusing to trust anyone. That leaves you redoing the work of every specialist, which is neither possible nor wise. The sounder habit is to test authority when the stakes are high. Ask why, not just who. A real expert can usually explain the reasoning behind a recommendation, and is willing to discuss other options.
Authority often works together with social proof. When an expert and a crowd agree, it becomes very hard to question either.
Example
A man in a high-visibility vest and a clipboard knocks on your door saying he needs to inspect your gas meter today. The vest makes you want to wave him in. You ask for his ID and call the utility company's official number first. They have no inspection scheduled, so you keep the door closed.
Try it this week
For your next important decision based on expert advice, ask the expert to walk you through the reasoning and one alternative.
From 7 Principles of Influence (Robert B. Cialdini · 1984).
