Uncategorized

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: If the panoply of strategies to persuade were a dating pool, then the fear appeal would definitely be the “bad boy,” or “bad girl.” By that I mean, attractive, a little shady, and potentially dangerous. The tactic of motivating your target audience by instilling and then alleviating some kind of […]

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: In the law, the ability to mentally focus is prized. We expect it of our partners and advocates, look for it in selecting our teams, and encourage our jurors to practice it. Following the story, understanding the details, comprehending the legal standards, all of that can require mental concentration. At

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Well, it has been yet another fascinating week for people like me who are interested in political communication. This week, Congress kicked off hearings dealing with some explosive charges regarding a foreign country’s influence on our election, and possible coordination with a political campaign. On Monday, Adam B. Schiff, who represents California’s

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: I have this theory, and because it is mine, I believe it. That, in a nutshell, is the explanation of a new and unique bias that has recently been demonstrated by social science researchers. The bias is called, “Spontaneous Preference for Own Theories,” or SPOT for short, and the explanation is

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Have you ever found yourself in an argument where the other side just keeps digging in deeper? Instead of conceding, agreeing, or even just softening their stance, they’re becoming even more committed to a position that (you think) you have shown to be incorrect? The more facts and reasons you

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: At a time when we are surrounded by keyboards and tablets, the act of handwriting notes with actual pen and paper can seem like an anachronism. Even the writing-intensive field of law is moving away from handwriting, at least as measured by the newer generations of lawyers. For example, I

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Take the Reptile seriously, but don’t fear it. The en vogue strategic choice of the plaintiffs’ bar, the idea that trial persuasion can be leveraged by careful and targeted attention to the fear impulse of the so-called “reptilian brain,” (Keenan & Ball, 2009) is an idea that, regardless of its scientific foundation,

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: From the frame of mind of the company attorney, a whistle-blower can signal the risk of litigation, high verdicts, or costly fines. From the frame of mind of the executives and CEOs, the whistle-blower can signal disloyalty, a person who is out, not for justice, but for some kind of revenge. To maintain

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: According to many recent reports, we now seem to be living in a “post-truth world.” With President Trump’s early statements, including some demonstrably false claims on his inauguration crowd-size as well as his relationship with the U.S. intelligence community, the phrase that seems to fit is the one that presidential advisor Kellyanne

By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: If you would like more confidence, and if you’ve seen Amy Cuddy’s widely-viewed TED talk, then maybe you’ve tried the “power pose.” Legs apart, head straight and tall, hands on hips or arms raised above your head — it is a posture we often see people naturally adopt after winning