Closing the Belief-Action Gap: Jason Feifer on Influencing Behavior Without Pushing

In a recent LinkedIn post, Jason Feifer explores a powerful, yet often overlooked, strategy for influencing behavior: highlighting the gap between people’s beliefs and their actions, rather than directly telling them what to do. Feifer, an entrepreneur and newsletter writer, argues that this indirect approach is far more effective than direct commands, which often elicit resistance.

Feifer introduces his concept by referencing a time-tested advertising formula. He states:

Don’t tell people what to do. (They hate that.) Instead, help them see the gap between their BELIEFS and their ACTIONS.

He illustrates this principle with an example of an Irish advertisement that, at first glance, appears unsettling. The ad depicts strangers knowing intimate details about a young girl named Ava. The revelation, Feifer explains, is that these individuals are observing her father’s social media activity. This scenario, he suggests, effectively showcases a disconnect – perhaps a parent’s public sharing versus their private responsibilities or the child’s privacy.

The Power of Indirect Influence

Feifer further solidifies his point by recalling a successful public health campaign in Thailand aimed at reducing smoking. The strategy involved children approaching adult smokers and, upon being told that smoking is unhealthy, presenting them with a card that read, “You worry about me, but why not about yourself?” This method, Feifer highlights, leveraged the adults’ existing beliefs about the dangers of smoking and their concern for a child’s well-being to create a moment of self-reflection.

The impact of this campaign was significant. According to Feifer, the resulting advertisement drove a 40% increase in calls to a quit-smoking hotline. He emphasizes that this success stemmed not from lecturing smokers, but from prompting them to confront their own behavior in light of their stated beliefs.

They made an ad from those moments. It drove a 40% increase in calls to a quit-smoking hotline.

Applying the ‘Gap’ Strategy

Feifer argues that this same strategy can be applied in various contexts to encourage better choices. The core principle remains consistent: avoid direct instruction or moralizing. Instead, create a situation or present information that naturally causes individuals to recognize a discrepancy between what they believe is right or important and how they are currently acting.

He elaborates on this by stating:

You can use this strategy too, driving people to make better choices. Don’t push them. Just show them the gap.

This approach, Feifer suggests, respects the individual’s autonomy and cognitive processes. By gently guiding them to their own conclusions, the likelihood of sustained behavior change is significantly increased. It shifts the motivation from external pressure to internal realization.

Journalistic Analysis

Feifer’s analysis offers a valuable framework for anyone looking to effect change, whether in marketing, public health, or interpersonal communication. The emphasis on empathy and understanding the target audience’s internal landscape is crucial. By focusing on the ‘belief-action gap,’ communicators can move beyond simplistic ‘do this, don’t do that’ messaging and tap into a deeper, more persuasive form of influence.

The success of the Thailand campaign, as detailed by Feifer, underscores the potency of this method. It demonstrates that by creating relatable scenarios that trigger self-awareness, significant behavioral shifts can be achieved without resorting to confrontational tactics. Feifer’s insights encourage a more nuanced and effective approach to behavioral influence.