The Power of Persuasion Reading Answers

Jul 8, 2025

The Power of Persuasion Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. The Power of Persuasion Reading Answers has a total of 14 IELTS questions in total. It includes questions such as choose the correct letter. Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-I. State whether the statement is yes, no or not given according to the passage.

The candidate's understanding and assessment of academic and general texts are examined in the IELTS Reading Section. Furthermore, practice enhances vocabulary and improves analytical reading skills, both of which are necessary for success. Using IELTS Reading Practice Questions, you can increase your vocabulary, sharpen your critical reading skills, and become more familiar with the various question types in reading tasks.

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Topic:

THE POWER OF PERSUASION

A New Zealand restaurateur assesses some recent research from the USA

Some scientists peer at things through high-powered telescopes, others tempt rats through mazes, or mix bubbling fluids in glass beakers. Then there is Robert Cialdini, whose unorthodox research involves such mundane items as towels and chocolates. Nonetheless, Cialdini believes he is discovering important insights into how society works, because he is conducting research into why some people are more persuasive than others.

Cialdini hopes that, by applying a little science, we should all be able to get our own way more often. This is in part a personal quest with its origins in his own experience: Cialdini claims that for his whole life he has been easy prey for salespeople and fundraisers who have managed to persuade him to buy things he did not want or give to charities he had never heard of.

When he realised that traditional experiments on the psychology of persuasion were telling only a part of the story, Cialdini began to probe influence in the real world, enrolling in sales-training programmes. In this way, he believes he learned first-hand a great deal about how to sell automobiles from a car lot, insurance from an office, and even encyclopaedias door to door. Most recently, his research has involved the now-famous experiments with towels. Many hotels leave a little card in each bathroom asking guests to reuse towels and thus conserve water and reduce pollution. Cialdini and his colleagues wanted to test the relative effectiveness of different text on those cards. Could hotels best motivate their guests to co-operate simply because it would help save the planet, or were other factors more compelling?

To test this, the researchers redesigned the cards, replacing the environmental message with the simple (and truthful) statement that the majority of guests at the hotel had reused their towel at least once. Those guests who received this message were found to be 2696 more likely to reuse their towel than those given the original message, and 74% more likely than those receiving no message at all.

This was just one study that has enabled Cialdini to identify his Six Principles of Persuasion. The phenomenon revealed by the towel experiment he calls "social proof": the idea that our decisions are influenced by what other people like us are doing. More perniciously, social proof is the force underpinning some people's anxiety not to be left behind by their neighbours, thus the desire for a bigger house or a faster car. A further principle, which he names "reciprocity," was tested in a restaurant by measuring how patrons would respond to after-dinner chocolates. When the chocolates were dropped individually in front of each diner, tips went up 14%. This is

reciprocity in action: we want to return favours done to us, often without bothering to accurately calculate whether what we are giving is proportionate to what we have received.

Cialdini's research has established four more such principles. Scarcity is the idea that people want more of things they can have less of, a notion that advertisers ruthlessly exploit—"limit of four per customer". Parents can also make use of scarcity by telling their little ones that this is a very unusual chance. So they should seize it immediately. The principle of authority states that we trust people who know what they are talking about. Cialdini maintains that many professionals don't display their credentials, fearing it is boastful or arrogant to publicise their expertise. The principle he labels "consistency" suggests that we want to act in ways that are consistent with undertakings we have already made. For example, if you are soliciting charitable donations, first ask colleagues if they think they will sponsor you. Later, return with a sponsorship form to those who said yes and remind them of their earlier undertaking. The final principle is likeness: we are more easily persuaded by those who seem similar to ourselves. In one study, people were sent survey forms and asked to return them to a named researcher. When the researcher falsely identified herself (e.g., Cynthia Johnson is sent a survey by Cindy Johansen), surveys were twice as likely to be completed.

Many of Cialdini's claims about persuasion are just that—highly persuasive—and I can readily see evidence for some of them in my own workplace. But Cialdini's experiments were conducted in the United States, and I wonder how well all of his findings can be applied here in New Zealand or elsewhere around the world. For instance, I do understand the general principle of "reciprocity," but cannot imagine New Zealand waiting staff using his cynical chocolate trick in their restaurants because the culture of tipping in this country is so different. But it is true that the way to a diner's heart is to give them something they are not expecting in the way of service, and in this country, reciprocation would more likely take the form of a return visit to the restaurant and not a tip. It may be that age is also a factor and that different generations would react differently to, say, the "consistency" principle. I suspect that younger people in this country would respond quite positively to this sort of approach, whereas their parents might be put off by any hint of a hard sell. Perhaps in the end, we must accept that some of us are simply born with more persuasion skills than others and that we have less control over such matters than Cialdini might like to think.

Questions 27-31

Choose the correct letter.

27. What point is the writer making about Robert Cialdini in the first paragraph?

A) He wants to change the way society operates.

B) He uses a wide variety of research techniques.

C) He has an unconventional approach to his work.

D) He refuses to make use of animals in his experiments.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: Then there is Robert Cialdini, whose unorthodox research involves such mundane items as towels and chocolates.

Keywords: Robert Cialdini, unorthodox

Keyword Location: Para 1, Line 2

Explanation: In para 1, the writer points out that the research method used by Robert Cialdini is simple and unorthodox.

28. What is the writer doing in the second paragraph?

A) Identifying a motivation for the research.

B) Assessing one aspect of Cialdini's character.

C) Questioning Cialdini's scientific research techniques.

D) Applauding researchers who examine their own experiences.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: Cialdini hopes that, by applying a little science, we should all be able to get our own way more often.

Keywords: science, applying

Keyword Location: Para 2, Line 1

Explanation: In the second paragraph, the writer is trying to find the motivation for the research.

29. What are we told about Cialdini's research methodology?

A) It involved him taking courses of study.

B) It was conducted in a laboratory.

C) It was focused on one particular product.

D) It was based on interviews with salespeople.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: Cialdini began to probe influence in the real world, enrolling in sales-training programmes.

Keywords: enrolling, sales-training

Keyword Location: Para 2, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, Cialdini's research methodology required him to take sales training programmes to get real-world information.

30. What was Cialdini's research question for the towel experiment?

A) Is it more effective not to use a card?

B) Does a simple message make any difference?

C) Why is the threat of pollution so persuasive?

D) Can hotels be persuaded to provide more towels?

Answer: B

Supporting statement: Cialdini and his colleagues wanted to test the relative effectiveness of different text on those cards.

Keywords: effectiveness, cards

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 7-8

Explanation: According to the text, the motive of Cialdini and his colleagues' research was to find out if simple words on the card made any difference.

31. The results of the towel experiment suggest that guests

A) were disinclined to tell the truth about towel use.

B) preferred not to receive a message with their towels.

C) were more receptive to messages about other guests.

D) responded more positively to an environmental message.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: the simple (and truthful) statement that the majority of guests at the hotel had reused their towel at least once.

Keywords: simple, reused

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 2

Explanation: The text mentions that the simple (and truthful) statement about other guests reusing the towels had more impact on the guests.

Questions 32-36

Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-I.

THE SIX PRINCIPLES OF PERSUASION

Cialdini's towel experiment demonstrated the principle he named social proof, which can result in competitive material. His research using chocolates suggests that people don't always assess the 32…………….. of transaction.

Answer: H

Supporting statement: When the chocolates were dropped individually in front of each diner, tips went up 14%. This is reciprocity in action

Keywords: chocolates, reciprocity

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 7-8

Explanation: Through his towel experiment, Cialdini illustrated the concept he called social proof, which can lead to competitive content. His chocolate-based research indicates that people don't always evaluate a transaction's exchange.

A further principle recommends that advertisers and parents should claim that something is a 33…………..to be more persuasive.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: Parents can also make use of scarcity by telling their little ones that this is a very unusual chance.

Keywords: scarcity, unusual

Keyword Location: Para 6, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The text states that by explaining to their children that this opportunity is extremely rare, parents may take advantage of the scarcity principle.

The authority principle is often ignored when some professionals are concerned their actions might be considered 34……………

Answer: I

Supporting statement: Cialdini maintains that many professionals don't display their credentials, fearing it is boastful or arrogant to publicise their expertise.

Keywords: professionals, credentials

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 6

Explanation: According to Cialdini, it is evident that sometimes professionals don’t display their authority, as it might be seen as arrogance and boastfulness.

He similarly suggests that people will give more to charity if they can be reminded of 35……………

Answer: B

Supporting statement: For example, if you are soliciting charitable donations, first ask colleagues if they think they will sponsor you.

Keywords: charitable donations, sponsor

Keyword Location: Para 6, Lines 8-9

Explanation: According to the text, if reminded, people might do more charity and donations.

Lastly, even something like a 36…………….. has been shown to result in more surveys being completed.

Answer: E

Supporting statement: The final principle is likeness: we are more easily persuaded by those who seem similar to ourselves.

Keywords: likeness, persuaded

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 11

Explanation: According to the text, people are persuaded by those who seem similar to them in surveys conducted, as it shows the use of the principle of likeness.

A) Rare opportunity D) Scarcity G) Social proof

B) Social obligation E) Likeness H) Reciprocity

C) True qualification F) Consistency I) Authority

Questions 37-40

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3? Write:

YES If the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks

37. The writer sees evidence of the reciprocity principle in his own family.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: No information is given in the text about the writer seeing evidence of the reciprocity principle in his own family.

38. Persuasion may operate in different ways in different countries.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: But Cialdini's experiments were conducted in the United States, and I wonder how well all of his findings can be applied here in New Zealand or elsewhere around the world.

Keywords: United States, New Zealand

Keyword Location: Para 7, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the text, persuasion may operate in different ways in different countries, as Cialdini's experiment was conducted in the U.S., and the same experiment might have a different result in Europe.

39. New Zealand diners are likely to leave tips if they are given chocolate.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: in this country, reciprocation would more likely take the form of a return visit to the restaurant and not a tip.

Keywords: reciprocation, tip

Keyword Location: Para 7, Lines 8-9

Explanation: According to the text, New Zealand diners do not leave tips if they are given chocolates, but they might visit the restaurant again.

40. Older New Zealanders would be more attracted to consistency.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: whereas their parents might be put off by any hint of a hard sell.

Keywords: parents, sell

Keyword Location: Para 7, Lines 11-12

Explanation: According to the text, the Older New Zealanders are not likely to be affected by consistency.