The Power of Self-Persuasion and Behaving with Integrity

Confronting people with their hypocrisy and urging them to behave with integrity led to a sharp increase in condom use. Six months later, even when the persuasion seemed to come from someone else, those in the hypocrisy condition continued using condoms. This self-persuasion approach was more effective than traditional methods like lectures and videos, increasing condom use from 17% to over 60%. The research highlights the importance of involving individuals in making the argument and being mindful of the arguments we make, as we are often most successful at convincing ourselves.