Storytelling and Influence

Dr Patient Consult 2025 by
Geoffrey Sutton & Artspace

Yesterday, I spoke with my physician about a procedure, which required his referral to a specialist. He mentioned some pros and cons but said he only had about five patients who had undergone the procedure. Then, he asked if I knew anyone who had had it done. I didn't, and he thought that was unfortunate. I left with the impression he wasn't enthusiastic about the referral. I was just seeking the opinion of the expert. However, my doctor did tell me the procedure was costly, which made me think I might not get an objective analysis from the specialist.

Why would a doctor ask if I had a friend who had the procedure? Since his sample of five patients did not fare well, he was reluctant to give a blanket referral. I understand that; however, because I am somewhat familiar with research methods and statistics, I prefer information from a large sample with reliable data.

What can we learn from research?

It turns out, a friend's story can be persuasive. Weirui Wang (2024) observed that we tend to be less defensive when we learn about something from a friend. He and his colleagues studied the influence of friends in a controlled experiment. It turns out the opinions of friends are more influential than factual information. Of course, one has to hope friends offer verifiable facts and not misinformation.

Source of Wang's study: https://spsp.org/news/character-and-context-blog/wang-storytelling-tactic-correcting-misinformation?_zs=mMdnc&_zl=lbVL4

Propaganda and Psychology

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