- As a high school teacher,
I've unfortunately heard teenagers say things
that were mean and even cruel.
The worst thing I've ever heard a student say
pales in comparison to the attacks
and mudslinging I've heard come from politicians.
So how effective is it to point out
the flaws in your opponent?
Or is it better to celebrate your own strengths.
And how powerful is the lobbying in general
whether it comes to politics
or our personal lives so we decided
to treat my students to some ice cream.
We gave them a choice between four flavors.
What they didn't know is that our ice cream
man is Matt Walton
an actor and performer
and his goal is to convince them
to pick a different flavor
than they originally chose.
Students were broken up in two groups
based on their original choice.
The first group Matt's gonna attack and criticize
the flavor of ice cream that they chose
to see if he can get them to change their minds.
Kind of mudslinging.
For the second group
Matt will only say great things about all
the flavors they didn't choose to see
if praise can influence them to change their minds.
For the third group who we're gonna call undecided,
they never picked an original flavor.
So Matt's gonna do his best to lobby
for two of the main flavors.
And see if he can convince them
to pick the flavor he wants them to pick.
This simple experiment with ice cream
is gonna tell us a lot
about American politics.
- Okay guys ah
you guys got cookies and cream.
- Yeah.
- You sure you want to do the cookies and cream.
- Yes.
- Looks like cookies
and cream. - Not only doesn't it
look like it,
it doesn't event taste like it.
I work for the owners,
I don't know if you want to go with this one.
It says cookies and cream but it's.
- I'll give it a try.
- You're gonna do it
alright it's your fault. - Can I see?
- I think it is I think it's narly.
- Can I see the chocolate please
if you don't mind. - Chocolate yeah.
And are you still gonna go with your choice.
- Yeah. - Okay.
Don't say I didn't warn you. - Can I have vanilla?
- That's the way. - I'll go with
cookies and cream.
- Alright what do you think
it's disgusting isn't it?
- I don't know what this is
but it's not cookies and cream.
- Right it's not cookies and cream
it's just brown sugar goo.
Birthday cake people.
Have you guys had the cookies and cream flavor
it is so awesome.
- Yeah that looks very unique I'm gonna go with it.
- For uniqueness? - [Students] Yes.
- So you're about being different.
okay that's fine.
That's your call.
So you guys have thought long and hard
about your ice cream flavors right?
- Yes. - And you have
yet to reach a decision.
What do you think?
- The birthday cake. - Birthday cake,
can I convince you to take another flavor?
Maybe if I offered you some sprinkles
on that flavor or a coupon?
I'm just wondering what it would take
to get you to pick
something else? - I like sprinkles.
- You like sprinkles let me offer you
some sprinkles to choose anything but birthday cake.
- Vanilla. - Vanilla you can have
the sample flavor 'cause
it's a little bit warm.
So it's nice and melty and smooth.
- Oh, oh my God,
oh my God.
You have chosen wisely.
What are you thinking? - Chocolate.
- Chocolate have you considered the cookies
and cream though.
I can even give you some coconuts on that.
Coconut cookies and cream
oh my God, right. - Yeah.
- I think you're obviously gonna go.
- Okay. - Clearly.
- Thank you. - You're very welcome
now what are you thinking?
- Chocolate what would it take to get you to eat
the birthday cake?
If you pick birthday cake
I will give you three of these coupons.
You and your friends can have
a really fun afternoon.
- No cool still going with chocolate.
- How about if you pick another flavor
I'll give you two.
- Do I ever.
Just say this is for a friend.
No one saw you take two okay.
- Well done.
- Cookies and cream.
- Cookies and cream?
Birthday cake it is. - Okay.
- Well done.
There you go.
- I'm feeling birthday cake. - You feeling birthday cake?
Chocolate you got it.
You want some sprinkles
on that chocolate? - Heck yeah.
- Yeah it's so easy to influence you guys.
What you guys,
you have chocolate,
you want chocolate? - Yes.
- Chocolate it is.
- Damn. - It's white chocolate,
vanilla white chocolate.
Oh I see how it's going,
I see how it's going that's voter fraud
is what that is right there.
I think you guys should just take
a general flavor you want at this point.
- Ah thank you. - It's America
do your thing,
you got it.
- Ah raise your hand if you ended
up getting a different type of ice cream
than you originally picked.
- I think more than that
I think you guys gotta be honest.
- I'd would like you guys to meet
Matt Walton one of my best friends.
- Ha ha.
- One of most talented actors,
performers and entertainers ever.
You want to explain what
your goal was throughout this experiment?
- So this was an experiment on influence
and what it would take to change
your mind at the last minute.
And I think it worked on about half of you.
I admire those who stuck with their choice
no matter how much I crapped on it
that was really impressive.
And the idea was which candidate do you choose?
One that one side tells you is no good
or one that their side tells you is great?
- Alright so a 'round of applause
for Mr. Walton.
- Thanks guys that was fun. - Alright.
- I wanted ice cream cake like I did not want vanilla
but as soon as he said sprinkles,
I like sprinkles so.
- He said a lot of words
and I didn't really want
to keep up with him so I just agreed.
I just said alright I'll take what you're giving.
- I just felt like the way he carried himself
the way that he spoke to me it was just very convincing.
I mean he just said no you want chocolate
you know it just kind of like I said
the way he said it it made something,
it made me want to get the chocolate,
take his advice 'cause he is the yogurt guy of course.
- His persuasion wasn't really enough
to get me to go to the other ones.
And I had my mind set on it from the beginning
so I wasn't gonna change it.
- Politicians can us either words
to kind of influence people not necessarily
the content of what they're saying
but how they say it
can maybe influence people to vote one way or another.
- At the end you know
what you want and you want to be happy
with your choice.
So don't listen to other people
and stay true to who you are.
- That was intense.
And it proves we're divisive
even over ice cream.
Whether it's mudslinging, praise or lobbying
if this taught us anything
it's we have to stick by our principles.
If we don't stand for something
we will fall for anything.
To see more episodes of field trip click
on the links below.
Thank you for watching.