Why persuasion techniques
In an age where information is abundant and our attention is constantly pulled in different directions, understanding persuasion techniques is more critical than ever. These techniques, deeply rooted in psychology and communication, hold significant power in shaping our decisions and opinions, often without our conscious awareness. Whether it is the subtle nudges in a commercial, the rhetoric of a political speech, or even a friend's convincing argument, these methods continuously work to influence us.
By becoming aware of how persuasion works, we can better navigate the complexities of modern communication and make more informed choices. In doing so, we empower ourselves not only to resist undue influence but also to engage more effectively and ethically in our interactions with others.
The detecting tool
Detecting persuasion techniques:users can paste a piece of text into the tool in order to analyse its content. The detection tool will tag spans of text with one or more of the persuasion techniques. Based on the latest language model, the high performance of the tool has been demonstrated by placing first in a research competition.
Multi-language capability: the tool is multilingual. The XLM-RoBERTA multilingual transformer model was trained with specific data about persuasion techniques, in English, French, Polish, Italian, Russian and German. This resulting tool is able to process articles written in all official European languages as well as several extra-European ones.
Purpose and application: the primary aim of the tool is to help users to better recognise and understand the techniques used to influence public opinion. The tool aids in discerning between factual reporting and persuasive content, contributing to a more informed readership.