Understanding persuasion is essential to having influence in virtually any environment - at work, in a sales pitch, in the marketplace, and even at home. Whether you want to get colleagues on board with your idea, clients or investors interested in your company, or even family members to change their health behaviors, having persuasion knowhow will make you more effective. The aim of this course is to provide insight into the psychology of persuasion. We will take an evidence-based approach to explore what persuades and why. The goal is to give you access to the science of persuasion, and to help you identify and design new persuasion strategies that leverage this science. By the end of the course, you will have a deep understanding of persuasion and a toolkit that will help you enhance your persuasive impact in a wide range of situations.
3 units · GSB Student Option LTR/PF
Understanding persuasion is essential to having influence in virtually any environment - at work, in a sales pitch, in the marketplace, and even at home. Whether you want to get colleagues on board with your idea, clients or investors interested in your company, or even family members to change their health behaviors, having persuasion knowhow will make you more effective. The aim of this course is to provide insight into the psychology of persuasion. We will take an evidence-based approach to explore what persuades and why. The goal is to give you access to the science of persuasion, and to help you identify and design new persuasion strategies that leverage this science. By the end of the course, you will have a deep understanding of persuasion and a toolkit that will help you enhance your persuasive impact in a wide range of situations.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.