Invisible Influence

The New York Times bestselling author of Contagious explores the subtle, secret influences that affect the decisions we make—from what we buy, to the careers we choose, to what we eat—in this fascinating and groundbreaking work.

If you’re like most people, you think that your choices and behaviors are driven by your individual, personal tastes, and opinions. You wear a certain jacket because you liked the way it looked. You picked a particular career because you found it interesting. The notion that our choices are driven by our own personal thoughts and opinions is patently obvious. Right? Wrong.

Without our realizing it, other people’s behavior has a huge influence on everything we do at every moment of our lives, from the mundane to the momentous occasion. Even strangers have a startling impact on our judgments and decisions: our attitudes toward a welfare policy shift if we’re told it is supported by Democrats versus Republicans (even though the policy is the same in both cases).

But social influence doesn’t just lead us to do the same things as others. In some cases we conform, or imitate others around us. But in other cases we diverge, or avoid particular choices or behaviors because other people are doing them. We stop listening to a band because they go mainstream. We skip buying the minivan because we don’t want to look like a soccer mom.

In Invisible Influence, Jonah Berger integrates research and thinking from business, psychology, and social science to focus on the subtle, invisible influences behind our choices as individuals. By understanding how social influence works, we can decide when to resist and when to embrace it—and how we can use this knowledge to make better-informed decisions and exercise more control over our own behavior.

Reviews

“With great insight, Jonah Berger removes the cloak of invisibility from powerful sources of influence and resolves fascinating mysteries of human behavior.”

–ROBERT CIALDINI, AUTHOR OF INFLUENCE

“From the very first page, this book will change the way you look at yourself—and others. Eye-opening and thoroughly engaging.”

–AMY CUDDY, AUTHOR OF PRESENCE

“Whether you want to influence others, make smarter decisions, or just better understand the mystery that is human behavior, this book will show you how. A terrific, insightful read.”

–TONY HSIEH, CEO OF ZAPPOS

“If you want to know what really influences your behavior, read Jonah Berger’s latest eye-opening book, packed with thought-provoking research, memorable stories, and powerful insights. A terrific read!”

–WILLIAM URY, AUTHOR OF GETTING TO YES WITH YOURSELF

“As he did with Contagious, Jonah Berger takes us deep beneath the surface of things, with mesmerizing results. Invisible Influence is a book with the power to transform the way we see ourselves and our place in the world.”

–ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, AUTHOR OF THRIVE

“Jonah Berger has done it again: Written a fascinating book that brims with ideas and tools for how to think about the world.”

–CHARLES DUHIGG, AUTHOR OF THE POWER OF HABIT

Research that Appeared in Invisible Influence

Berger, Jonah, Eric Bradlow, Alex Braunstein, and Yao Zhang (2012), “From Karen to Katie: Using Baby names to Study Cultural Evolution” Psychological Science, 23 (10), 1067-1073.

Chan, Cindy, Jonah Berger, and Leaf Van Boven (2012), “Identifiable but not Identical: Combining Social Identity and Uniqueness Motives in Choice” Journal of Consumer Research, 39(3), 561-573.

Berger, Jonah and Devin Pope (2011), “Can Losing Lead to Winning?” Management Science, 57(5), 817-827.

Berger, Jonah and Morgan Ward, (2010) “Subtle Signals of Inconspicuous Consumption,” Journal of Consumer Research, 37(4), 555-569.

Berger, Jonah and Chip Heath (2008) “Who Drives Divergence? Identity Signaling, Outgroup Dissimilarity, and the Abandonment of Cultural Tastes,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(3), 593-607.

Berger, Jonah and Lindsay Rand (2008), “Shifting Signals to Help Health: Using Identity Signaling to Reduce Risky Heath Behaviors,” Journal of Consumer Research, 35(2), 509-518.

Berger, Jonah and Chip Heath (2007), “Where Consumers Diverge from Others: Identity-Signaling and Product Domains,” Journal of Consumer Research, 34(2), 121-134.

Pronin, Emily, Jonah Berger, and Sarah Molouki (2007), “Alone in a Crowd of Sheep: Asymmetric Perceptions of Conformity and Their Roots in an Introspection Illusion,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(4), 585-595.