In politics, a smile and an empathetic ear go a long way, but unfortunately they’re not enough | Torsten Bell

If you want to persuade someone, start by listening to them. We’ve all heard it before and it sounds true, but it’s not true, concludes an intriguing new American study.

The authors designed a large-scale experiment in which Zoom calls were set up between an experienced campaign worker and members of the public recruited through Facebook ads to test how the campaign worker (presented as a supporter of in-state college tuition exemptions for undocumented immigrants) influenced the opinions of members of the public (selected as skeptical of such policies).

One pair of visitors was instructed to share a powerful story about deserving immigrants in the conversation. The other pair was instructed to first listen and then switch to the same persuasion tactics — making eye contact and avoiding critical responses. The researchers then asked the visitors for their opinions on the policy and the debate.

Active listening was noticeable, and people reported liking their interlocutors more, but it did not translate into greater likelihood of being persuaded. Sharing a story increased support for a policy by about 10 percentage points, with or without active listening.

So persuading people is harder than just smiling and listening. The point is to make a point, not to be liked. But does this mean that we politicians shouldn’t listen? No. Even if being liked doesn’t make your point more persuasive, it might make people more likely to listen in the first place. Plus, and this is a crazy idea, you might learn something: I’ll stop canvassing.

Torsten Bell is the Labour MP for Swansea West and author of Great Britain: How to Reclaim Our Future.

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