# Experiment: Changing minds vs. preaching to the choir

 **1\. Problem**

In the market economy production is driven by monetary incentives – higher reward for an economic activity makes more people willing to engage in it. Internet forums follow the same principle but with a different currency - instead of money the main incentive of internet commenters is _the reaction of their audience_. A strong reaction expressed by a large number of replies or “likes” encourages commenters to increase their output. Its absence motivates them to quit posting or change their writing style.  
  
On neutral topics, using audience reaction as an incentive works reasonably well: attention focuses on the most interesting or entertaining comments. However, on partisan issues, such incentives become counterproductive. Political forums and newspaper comment sections demonstrate the same patterns:

  

  

*   The easiest way to maximize “likes” for a given amount of effort is by posting an emotionally charged comment which appeals to audience’s biases (“preaching to the choir”).

*   The easiest way to maximize the number of replies is by posting a low quality comment that goes against audience’s biases (“trolling”).

*   Both effects are amplified when the website places comments with most replies or “likes” at the top of the page.

The problem is not restricted to low-brow political forums. The following graph, which shows the average number of comments as a function of an article’s karma, was generated from the Lesswrong data.  
  

![](http://www.omnilibrium.com/LW4.jpg)

The data suggests that the easiest way to maximize the number of replies is to write posts that are _disliked_ by most readers. For instance, articles with the karma of -1 on average generate twice as many comments (20.1±3.4) as articles with the karma of +1 (9.3±0.8).

  

**2\. Technical Solution**

Enabling constructive discussion between people with different ideologies requires reversing the incentives – people need to be motivated to write posts that sound  persuasive to the opposite side rather than to their own supporters.

We suggest addressing this problem that this problem by changing the voting system. In brief, instead of votes from all readers, comment ratings and position on the page should be based on votes from the opposite side only. For example, in the debate on minimum wage, for arguments against minimum wage only the upvotes of minimum wage supporters would be counted and vice versa.

The new voting system can simultaneously achieve several objectives:

· eliminate incentives for preaching to the choir

· give posters a more objective feedback on the impact of their contributions, helping them improve their writing style

·focus readers’ attention on comments most likely to change their minds instead of inciting comments that provoke an [irrational defensive reaction](/lw/gw/politics_is_the_mindkiller/).

**3\. Testing**

If you are interested in measuring and improving your persuasive skills and would like to help others to do the same, you are invited to take part in the following experiment:

**Step I.** Submit Pro or Con arguments on any of the following topics (up to 3 arguments in total):

     [Should the government give all parents vouchers for private school tuition?](http://www.omnilibrium.com/arg.php?id=533)

     [Should developed countries increase the number of immigrants they receive?](http://www.omnilibrium.com/arg.php?id=534)

     [Should there be a government mandated minimum wage?](http://www.omnilibrium.com/arg.php?id=535)

**Step II.** For each argument you have submitted, rate 15 arguments submitted by others.

**Step III.**  Participants will be emailed the results of the experiment including:

-ratings their arguments receive from different reviewer groups (supporters, opponents and neutrals)

-the list of the most persuasive Pro & Con arguments on each topic (i.e. arguments that received the highest ratings from opposing and neutral groups)

-rating distribution in each group

**Step IV** (optional). If interested, sign up for the next round.

The experiment will help us test the effectiveness of the new voting system and develop the best format for its application.