Distorted megaphone symbolizing communication barriers and limited bandwidth.

Decoding Persuasion: How Limited Communication Shapes Influence

Kai Mendoza in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Experts navigating the complexities of conveying information with limited means. Discover how message availability impacts persuasive power."

Imagine a financial advisor trying to explain intricate investment risks using simple ratings or a doctor using basic health charts to convey detailed patient information. In many real-world situations, professionals must communicate complex information using a limited set of messages. This constraint impacts how effectively they can persuade and influence others.

New research explores how the number of available messages affects an expert's persuasive power. By examining the strategic design of information, this study reveals surprising insights into the dynamics of communication when options are limited. It challenges conventional wisdom about information transmission and raises important questions about regulation and welfare.

This article dives into the key findings of this research, using real-world examples and straightforward explanations to illuminate the complexities of persuasive communication. Discover how constraints on message capacity can shift the balance of power and ultimately improve outcomes for everyone involved.

The Power of Limited Messages: Persuasion in a Constrained World

Distorted megaphone symbolizing communication barriers and limited bandwidth.

The study introduces a geometric representation of an expert's payoff when message capacity is limited. This approach helps identify the boundaries of an additional signal's value for the sender. In certain scenarios, the marginal value of a signal increases as the receiver becomes more difficult to persuade.

However, the research also reveals a counterintuitive finding: access to more signals doesn't always translate into more information being transmitted. Sometimes, the receiver might even prefer coarser communication. This suggests that regulations on communication capacity can potentially shift power from the expert to the decision-maker, ultimately improving welfare.

Real-World Relevance: This research applies to diverse fields, from financial advising to healthcare, where experts must simplify complex information.
Strategic Communication: Understanding how message availability influences persuasion can inform more effective communication strategies.
Policy Implications: Regulations on communication capacity can be a tool to balance power and improve overall welfare.

To illustrate these concepts, consider the example of targeted advertising. An advertiser with three available messages can strategically induce actions from consumers. However, when limited to only two messages, the advertiser's strategy changes, potentially leading to different outcomes for both the advertiser and the consumer. This example highlights the trade-offs involved in coarse communication and the importance of understanding its impact on all parties.

Implications and Future Directions: Navigating the New Communication Landscape

This research sheds light on the complexities of persuasion in a world where information is abundant but communication capacity is often limited. By understanding how message availability shapes influence, experts and decision-makers can develop more effective strategies and policies. Further research is needed to explore these dynamics in various contexts, such as competition between senders and the challenge of persuading diverse audiences. By continuing to investigate the interplay between commitment and communication, we can unlock new insights into the art and science of persuasion.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1910.13547,

Title: Persuasion With Coarse Communication

Subject: econ.th

Authors: Yunus C. Aybas, Eray Turkel

Published: 29-10-2019

Everything You Need To Know

How does message availability affect an expert's ability to persuade?

The availability of messages significantly impacts an expert's persuasive power. When experts are constrained by limited message capacity, such as a financial advisor using simple ratings or a doctor using basic health charts, their ability to convey complex information is directly affected. Research indicates that the number of available messages influences the expert's strategic design of information, which in turn affects how effectively they can persuade and influence others.

What is the geometric representation of an expert's payoff when message capacity is limited?

The study introduces a geometric representation to understand an expert's payoff when message capacity is limited. This approach helps identify the boundaries of an additional signal's value for the sender. It provides a visual and analytical tool to assess how changes in message availability influence the expert's outcomes. This representation is crucial for understanding the dynamics of communication and the impact of constraints on persuasion.

Can more signals always lead to better communication and outcomes?

No, the research reveals a counterintuitive finding that access to more signals doesn't always translate into more information being transmitted. Sometimes, the receiver might even prefer coarser communication. This implies that regulations on communication capacity can potentially shift power from the expert to the decision-maker, ultimately improving welfare. This challenges the conventional belief that more information is always better and highlights the importance of strategic communication design.

How can regulations on communication capacity be used to improve welfare?

Regulations on communication capacity can be a tool to balance power and improve overall welfare. By limiting the number of available messages, regulators can potentially shift power from the expert to the decision-maker. This can lead to improved outcomes, especially when the expert has an informational advantage. An example of this is in targeted advertising, where limiting the number of available messages changes the advertiser's strategy, impacting the outcomes for both the advertiser and the consumer. This highlights the trade-offs involved in coarse communication.

What are the real-world implications of these findings, and where can this research be applied?

The research applies to diverse fields such as financial advising, healthcare, and targeted advertising, where experts must simplify complex information. Understanding how message availability influences persuasion can inform more effective communication strategies. In healthcare, doctors using basic health charts to convey detailed patient information are an example. In financial advising, experts often simplify investment risks using ratings. These applications highlight the practical relevance of understanding how communication constraints impact persuasive power and decision-making across various professional contexts.