Eric Knowles, a professor of social psychology at the University of Arkansas, is very convincing, The Economist is reporting in its latest edition. Knowles says that he has experimental evidence to support a new approach to persuasion—one that works on removing people’s inhibitions, or lowering their resistance.

Knowles is so compelling that he has managed to persuade America’s National Science Foundation to give him $163,000 to find ways of making messages and appeals more persuasive. Recently, he and a number of other researchers outlined their work on resistance-reduction at a meeting at the University of Arkansas.

When somebody is torn over a decision, some aspects will be attractive and encourage acceptance, he says. Others will be displeasing and create resistance. Researchers refer to persuasive strategies that work by making an offer more attractive as “alpha” strategies. Those that work by minimizing resistance to the offer are called “omega” strategies. Dr. Knowles operates at the omega end of the alphabet.

Resistance is in some sense a thing and can thus be used up and replenished, says Knowles. His main insight into omega strategies is the idea that resistance is in some sense a thing, and that it can thus be used up and replenished, rather like water in a tank.

Such changes in resistance level are not necessarily the result of logical or rational argument. Once the level drops, the tank is topped up gradually until it is full again, rather as a water-closet cistern refills itself after it has been flushed.

The task of the persuader is to drain the tank. That of the consumer is to keep it full enough to resist undesirable changes.