What are the six factors that motivate people’s decisions? How can you identify a person’s decision-making style?
One of Chase Hughes’s components of a behavior profile is a person’s decision-making style. Identifying someone’s decision-making style gives you insight into how they make their choices, enabling you to understand—and potentially influence—those choices.
Take a look at how to distinguish between different types of decision-making styles to effectively communicate with someone.
Identify Someone’s Decision-Making Style
According to Hughes, six factors different types of decision-making styles, from making a purchase to going on a date to confessing to a crime:
- Deviance: You make decisions that ensure you stand out from the crowd, such as buying a flashy car instead of a more modest one.
- Novelty: You make decisions that lead to new experiences or compel others to view you as a trendsetter, such as wearing the latest fashion.
- Social image: You make decisions that influence others to view you positively or that facilitate connections with others, such as taking the lead on a charitable community bake sale.
- Conformity: You make decisions that help you blend in with your peers, such as taking on the religious beliefs of your friends or family.
- Investment: You make decisions that get you the most out of what you invest, such as only agreeing to a second date with someone based on whether you can imagine having a long-term relationship with them.
- Necessity: You make decisions that fulfill a practical material need, such as only buying essentials and avoiding frivolous spending.
Most people’s decision-making styles will align with at least two of these factors, and according to Hughes, people are more likely to be motivated by factors that are adjacent to each other in this list. For example, someone primarily motivated by investment is likely to also be motivated by conformity and necessity (though to a lesser degree).
| Cultural Differences in Decision-Making The six decision-making factors that Hughes outlines may vary in importance across cultures: Cultural differences play a significant role in shaping individuals’ values, beliefs, and behaviors, which in turn influence their decision-making processes. Variations between cultures could include factors like collectivism versus individualism, economic stability, or religious influence. For example, collectivist cultures (such as many Asian and African societies) often prioritize group harmony and social expectations over individual desires. As a result, people in these cultures are more likely to have conformity and social image-based decision-making styles. In contrast, individualist cultures (like many Western societies) place a higher value on standing out and personal expression so they may see a higher emphasis on decision-making styles like deviance and novelty. In developing countries or regions with economic instability, necessity and investment might be more dominant styles across the board than they are in more affluent cultures. Finally, in societies where religion plays a significant role in daily life, conformity to religious norms might be a strong factor in decision-making, potentially overshadowing styles like deviance or novelty. |
Use Decision-Making Style to Build Rapport
Hughes explains that you can quickly build rapport with someone by conveying that you use the same decision-making style as them (even if it’s not your primary style). For example, you notice that someone has a hairstyle that stands out from the crowd and deduce that they have a deviance-based decision-making style. To build rapport with them, you bring up an interest of yours that deviates from the norm, such as a passion for competitive dog grooming.
Use Decision-Making Style to Influence Behavior
To influence someone’s decisions, subtly communicate to them that the decision you want them to make is the one that best fits their decision-making style.
For example, imagine you’re interviewing a potential employee. You’re impressed, and you want them on your team. When you ask why they got into this line of work, they explain that many of their friends also chose this career path—revealing a conformity-based decision-making style. To convince them to choose your company, you might say something like, “We have a lot of employees in your age group who really seem to like it here.” To tap into the adjacent social image-based decision-making style, you could also highlight some of your company’s charitable activities.
(Shortform note: Other experts affirm Hughes’s argument that it’s easier to connect with and influence someone if you can give them the impression that you share certain traits. In Pre-Suasion, Robert Cialdini explains that people are more inclined to agree with people they find likable—and that they’re predisposed to like people who are similar to them. Conveying that you use the same decision style as someone communicates a powerful similarity that quickly boosts your likability in their eyes.)
