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Robert Beno Cialdini, born on April 27, 1945, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an American psychologist and a leading expert in the field of influence and persuasion. He is the Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and has held visiting professorships at several prestigious institutions, including Stanford University and the University of California.

Cialdini earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1967 and went on to complete his Ph.D. in social psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970. He furthered his training with postdoctoral studies at Columbia University. His research focuses on understanding the psychological principles that lead people to comply with requests, which he articulates through his well-known principles of persuasion.

His most influential work, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (1984), has sold over five million copies and has been translated into 41 languages. In this book, Cialdini identifies six key principles of influence: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. He later introduced a seventh principle known as the unity principle. Cialdini’s other notable publications include Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (2008), The Small BIG: Small Changes That Spark Big Influence (2014), and Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade (2016), both of which became bestsellers.

Cialdini’s contributions to psychology have earned him numerous accolades, including election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2019. He has also served as a consultant for various political campaigns, including those of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Known as the “Godfather of Influence,” Cialdini continues to be a prominent figure in the application of psychological principles to marketing and communication strategies.