Digital technologies profile users to target persuasive messages with surgical precision.
Bob Kartus, prorector of Vysoká škola ekonomie a managementu, hosts Jiří Kůs on the Studium VŠEM podcast. Kůs introduces himself with a dual background in nanotechnology and psychology, having studied sociology and psychology in Brno with theses focused on persuasion psychology. He currently runs a nanotech company while working as head psychologist at a psychiatric hospital in Písek. The episode focuses on persuasion psychology, tracing its roots to mid-20th century American social psychology experiments by figures like Zimbardo and Milgram. Kůs explains how digital technologies have transformed persuasion through faster information spread, user profiling, and precise targeting. He describes the modern world as 'liquid sands' where traditional anchors disappear, weakening identity and increasing vulnerability to manipulation. Kůs outlines the persuasion process from exposure to behavior change, emphasizing repetition enabled by digital tools. He discusses brain function using the dual-process model, where fast heuristic thinking can be exploited by advertisers. The conversation covers social comparison theory, referencing Solomon Asch's conformity experiments, and how online groups amplify conformity. Kůs explains cognitive dissonance through Leon Festinger's study of a doomsday cult that reinterpreted reality when predictions failed. He analyzes personality using a house metaphor, contrasting stable individuals with those having 'borderline organization' who are ideal targets for manipulators. Kůs describes techniques to induce regression, making people childlike and dependent on authoritarian leaders. He distinguishes between primary narcissism in symbiotic cult relationships and secondary narcissism in pathological personality disorders, referencing cases like Jim Jones and a Czech healer sect. The episode concludes with strategies to counter manipulation, suggesting offering alternative positive identifications rather than direct confrontation.
