We are all familiar with the difference between yielding to direct or indirect pressure from
a group or an individual, and being genuinely persuaded. For example, you may simply
agree publicly with other people's attitudes, comply with their requests or go along with
their behaviour, yet privately not feel persuaded at all. On other occasions, you may
privately change your innermost beliefs in line with their views or their behaviour. This has
not gone unnoticed by social psychologists, who find it useful to distinguish between coercive
compliance on the one hand and persuasive influence on the other.