The Persuasion Code

CHAPTER 4Applying Six Stimuli to Persuade the Primal Brain

Some balance of the emotional and rational systems is needed, and that balance may already be optimized by natural selection in human brains.

–David Eagleman, neuroscientist and author

We learned in Chapter 3 that persuasion can be explained and predicted from the quality of messages that appeal to the primal brain. Table 4.1 will help you make the transition from the science of NeuroMap to its practical application. Although we recognize the value of identifying 188 cognitive biases [63], we believe there is a limited number of meta‐biases (biases above other biases) that can explain and predict why we are so irrational in our choices. We have identified six primal meta‐biases that mediate the way persuasive messages work on the brain. These meta‐biases can all be explained by the dominance of the primal brain. The term stimulus means a detectable change in the environment that will elicit a predictable response from the primal brain of your audience. We suggest that, together, the six stimuli (Figure 4.1) work as a system of communication you can use to influence the primal brain.

Table 4.1 Primal biases.

Primal Stimulus	Primal Bias	Primal Goal
Personal	To survive	Protect from threats
Contrastable	To speed up	Accelerate decisions
Tangible	To simplify	Reduce cognitive effort
Memorable	To store less	Remember limited information
Visual	To see	Rely on the dominant sensory channel
Emotional	To sense ...