Modeling the BYAF Technique: Freedom, Opinion, and Action in Decision Design

 This post introduces a cognitive-behavioral model for understanding the BYAF technique—“But You Are Free”—as a mechanism for influencing choice and action. By mapping how individuals form opinions, make choices, and take action, the framework reveals how emphasizing freedom reduces psychological reactance and increases compliance. It offers a structural lens for designing persuasive communication that respects autonomy.

Modeling Based on 西剛志『結局、​どう​したら​伝わるのか？』

Entity Name	Description
Person	The cognitive agent involved in decision-making, including self, others, and social context.
Myself	The speaker or initiator of the opinion or request.
Other Person	The receiver of the opinion or request, whose autonomy is central to the BYAF effect.
Other People	Additional social actors who may influence or observe the decision process.
My Opinion	The expressed viewpoint or request that initiates the persuasion sequence.
Choice	The decision point where the receiver evaluates options, influenced by perceived freedom.
Action	The behavioral outcome resulting from the choice, often shaped by autonomy cues.

By modeling the BYAF technique as a structured flow from opinion to choice to action, this framework clarifies how autonomy shapes behavioral outcomes. It encourages communicators to respect freedom as a design principle, not just a rhetorical device.