Shared identities have shaped human behavior since ancient times. In our final installment of this seven-part series, Emeritus Professor Robert Cialdini, the 'Godfather of Influence,' explores how the principle of unity makes us more likely to say 'yes' to those with whom we identify.

Michael Vick's apparent involvement in the brutal "sport" of dog fighting is the latest incident to focus attention on celebrity endorsements.

In the digital age, more information is available to more people than ever before. But not all the information. Truly unique and rare information — a hot stock tip, for instance, or a warning of an impending market shift — remains a near-priceless commodity.

In the Super Bowl advertising arms race, companies spend millions on mere seconds. Is it worth it? Nancy Stephens, associate professor of marketing, says no.

People trust experts. In courtrooms, expert witnesses sway the views of jurors. On television, expert analysts shape public opinion on everything from politics to sports.

Nobody likes being known as a liar or as wishy-washy or erratic. So, when people make public commitments or promises, they will almost always want to back up those words with action. They have little choice: For reputation’s sake, they must do so.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Americans began doing all of the things they had always wanted to do, including, apparently, a whole lot of shopping.

The new consumer sensibility, widely heralded in the business press, is the Experience Economy. Our world of mediated, staged and multi-sensory experience — an increasingly unreal world — gives rise to people desiring authentic or "real" experiences. But what is authenticity?

Super Bowl XLII represents an estimated $450 million in direct and ancillary revenues for businesses and entrepreneurs.

Business2Community recommends a new book by Robert Cialdini, Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing.