Glossary/Strategy & Frameworks/Cialdini's Principles of Persuasion
Strategy & Frameworks
Cialdini's Principles of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini's influence principles from 1984: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity, with unity added in 2016.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Cialdini's principles of persuasion are six influence principles described by psychologist Robert Cialdini in his 1984 book Influence: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity. He added a seventh, unity, in 2016. Marketers apply them in messaging, pricing and user experience design, ideally in ethical rather than manipulative ways.