Persuasion Principles for Skill Design

# Persuasion Principles for Skill Design ## Overview LLMs respond to the same persuasion principles as humans. Understanding this psychology helps you design more effective skills - not to manipulate, but to ensure critical practices are followed even under pressure. **Research foundation:** Meincke et al. (2025) tested 7 persuasion principles with N=28,000 AI conversations. Persuasion techniques more than doubled compliance rates (33% → 72%, p < .001). ## The Seven Principles ### 1. Authority **What it is:** Deference to expertise, credentials, or official sources. **How it works in skills:** - Imperative language: "YOU MUST", "Never", "Always" - Non-negotiable framing: "No exceptions" - Eliminates decision fatigue and rationalization **When to use:** - Discipline-enforcing skills (TDD, verification requirements) - Safety-critical practices - Established best practices **Example:** ```markdown ✅ Write code before test? Delete it. Start over. No exceptions. ❌ Consider writing t