Audience and Persuasion Psychology Flashcards
7 cards from real Sales Copy practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Audience and Persuasion Psychology flashcards as text
What is 'loss aversion' in sales copy psychology?
Answer: People fear losses more than they value equivalent gains
Loss aversion, identified by Kahneman and Tversky, means the pain of losing $100 feels roughly twice as strong as the pleasure of gaining $100.
Which persuasion principle suggests people are more likely to buy after receiving something for free?
Answer: Reciprocity
Cialdini's reciprocity principle shows that giving a free sample, report, or tip creates a psychological obligation to give back.
A copywriter describes a product's target customer in vivid detail before the pitch. This technique is known as:
Answer: Customer avatar mirroring
Customer avatar mirroring reflects the reader's own beliefs, desires, and frustrations back at them, creating immediate identification and trust.
What role does 'cognitive ease' play in persuasive copy?
Answer: It makes information feel familiar and trustworthy, lowering resistance
Cognitive ease — achieved through simple language, repetition, and clean formatting — makes copy feel more believable and increases buying likelihood.
Which of the following best describes the 'bandwagon effect' in sales copy?
Answer: Implying that many others have already made the same purchase decision
The bandwagon effect leverages social proof by suggesting widespread adoption, making prospects feel they'd be left out if they don't buy.
A prospect reads an email and thinks, 'This writer really gets my problem.' Which psychological outcome has the copy achieved?
Answer: Empathetic resonance
Empathetic resonance occurs when copy accurately names the reader's pain, situation, or desire, creating an emotional connection that lowers sales resistance.
Why does 'future pacing' work as a persuasion technique in sales copy?
Answer: It lets the reader mentally experience the desired outcome before buying
Future pacing guides readers to vividly imagine their life after the purchase, making the outcome feel real and attainable, which increases motivation to buy.