By FIONA MACRAE

Last updated at 08:20 08 May 2008

Women who are forever urging their other halves to help more around the house may feel at times they are wasting their breath.

But they should persevere - because experts have declared that nagging does work.

Research shows that the sort of mental exhaustion produced by a constant stream of questions or orders leaves us open to persuasion. In other words, nagging leaves us too tired to resist.

This is one of eight pieces of advice gleaned from a host of studies carried out around the world on the science of persuasion.

Other tips on getting your own way include not hesitating when making your pitch, not giving too many choices and meeting face to face, New Scientist magazine reports. Studies show people are more likely to do what is being asked if their mental reserves are low.

In one experiment, U. S. researchers tried to persuade a group of students to agree to one month's summer holiday instead of three.

Half the students came to the study fresh, while the others had just completed a task which required them to write down all the thoughts that came into their heads while suppressing thoughts of a bear that had been mentioned by the researchers.

Those who did the mentally-draining task were more willing to give up two months of holiday.

New Scientist advises: 'You should avoid engaging in argument or doing battle with sales people when your mental batteries are running low. Conversely, if you are trying to be persuasive, strike when you're target is running low on mental energy.

'Of course, there is a form of mental exhaustion that doesn't require thought: nag them into submission.'

Another way to get what you want is to make your case quickly but without pause or hesitation. Research shows that ums and ahs make us sound less convincing.

Another tip is not to ask the object of your request for too much. Studies have revealed that the more reasons people are asked to come up with in support of an idea, the less value they ascribe to each. So one good reason is better than ten.

Flattery also helps you get your own way, as does mirroring the body language of the person you are trying to persuade.

If all else fails, you could try getting them angry - a strategy used by politicians and animal rights groups to make people sympathetic to their cause.