Our brains have evolved from those of more primitive animals who needed most of all to detect threats in order to survive. Now, we use them creatively, proactively; but vestiges remain of the basic defensive mechanisms.
A quick Google search comes up with, for example, this article, "Accommodating new behaviours".
Even when our basic needs or instincts don't over-ride pure intellectual decision-making, they are always there in the background, as part of our thinking.
It's not worth over-doing, but as a very quick check that a communication will be acted on, I've found myself asking "fear or greed?" At the most basic level, every message appeals to one or both - what is there to gain or lose? It's the "what's in it for me?" test.
Am I being a bit hard on people? What about curiosity, loyalty, or a desire to help? Don't people respond to messages in these ways?
I think the answer is 'yes, but not as much'. And let's chuck in another one: laziness.
But communicators know that inertia is just as useful a guide to building campaigns as fear or greed: make the message as easy as possible to consume; publish it at point of use so it's less of a problem if they forget it; wrap it up with other messages or into a story so it's more memorable; or make it the default option and just say they have the option of changing.
I have to admit, I'm just as lazy, fearful and greedy as the next person. But at least that means I have a ready-made subject on which to test any communication - myself.
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