Patent ID: 8403678
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method for persuading participants to accept and/or understand a concept, position or idea, the method comprising the steps of: creating a logic map comprising one or more question-and-answers sets, including: defining a target answer desired to be elicited from the participants and one or more secondary answers if the desired target answer is not elicited, the target answer indicating that the participants at least one of accept and understand one of a concept, position, and idea, defining characteristics of prospective participants, defining one or more rational lines of reasoning corresponding to the determined characteristics for leading the participants to agree to and choose the target answer or one of the one or more secondary answers, and defining multiple-choice interlinked question-and-answers sets corresponding to the one or more lines of reasoning, such that an answer to a question-and-answers set links to a next question of a question-and-answers set, including: defining one or more qualifying question-and-answers sets based on the defined characteristics of the prospective participants and configured to determine the participants' current state of concurrence or non-concurrence with, and opinion concerning, the concept, position, and idea, the qualifying question-and-answers sets offering divergent answer choices to the participants, and including at least one final, key qualifying question-and-answers set configured to determine the reasons for the participants' current opinion and the strength of the participants' current opinion, defining one or more leading question-and-answers sets linked to the qualifying question-and-answers sets and based on the defined characteristics of the prospective participants, including the participants' current state of concurrence or non-concurrence, the reasons for the participants' current opinion, and the strength of the participant's current opinion, and configured to lead the prospective participants to concurrence with the concept, position, and idea, and defining one or more closing question-and-answers sets linked to the qualifying question-and-answers sets and the leading question-and-answers sets and at an end of the lines of reasoning including the target answer, wherein the leading question-and-answers sets are designed to become increasingly specific and converge on a desired closing question-and-answers set; associating each of the answers in the closing question-and-answers sets with a final message to the participants; storing the logic map in a database coupled to a server computer; generating by the server computer a first question-and-answers set from the stored logic map, wherein a client computer accesses the first generated question-and-answers set from the server computer; receiving by the server computer an answer selected by a participant from the first generated question-and-answers set via the client computer; generating by the server computer a second question-and-answers set associated in the stored logic map with the selected answer to the first generated question-and-answers set; and repeating the steps of generating by the server computer question-and-answers sets, receiving selections to answers from the generated question-and-answers sets, and generating by the server computer question-and-answers sets associated with the selected answers to the generated question-and-answers sets, until the participant has reached a closing question-and-answers set corresponding to the end of a line of reasoning and has been presented with the final message associated therewith.