Influencing people is an art, but even art is measured by scientists' yardsticks nowadays. Last week a psychologist reduced to statistics some surprising facts about the subtle art of changing people's minds through discussion. Dr. Ray H. Simpson, an instructor in Barnard College, made a study of Those Who Influence and Those Who Are Influenced in Discussions.* His guinea pigs were 185 college girls (Dr. Simpson says his findings would probably have been similar if the subjects had been men.) He determined their opinions on many issues, then formed groups of four students...
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