Persuasion

-          changing attitudes, beliefs, behaviors

-           what makes it good/bad?

Approaches to Persuasion

-        cognitive approach

o    why we are persuaded

o    routes of persuasion

§    central route

·    arguments

·    enduring changes

§    peripheral route

·    superficial cues

·    temporary changes

Elements of Persuasion

-       1. communicator

o    sleeper effect

§    delayed persuasion

§    initially discount message, but then forget why

o    credibility

§    perceived expertise

·    knowlegdgble

·    speak confidently

§    perceived trustworthiness

·    speech style

·    argue against self-interest

o  attractiveness

§    physical appeal

§    similarity

·    vs. credibility

o  personal matters

 - similarity

o  judgments of fact

-  credibility

-       2. content of message

o  reason vs. emotion

§    depends on audience

§    effect of good feelings

·    good vs. bad mood

o    effect of fear

§    how much fear?

·    more fear = greater response

o  interest, prevention

o  not always effective

o  fear persuasive when:

1. fear consequences

2. solution is offered

3. capable of solution

o  one-sided vs. two-sided appeals

§    present opposing arguments?

·    agree vs. disagree

·    aware of arguments

o  primacy vs. recency

§    primacy effect

·    early info most persuasive

§    recency effect

·    last info most influential

·    how?

o  time separates messages

o  commit self after 2nd option

-       3. channel of communication

o  active vs. passive

§    active experience

·    spoken message

§    passive reception

·    advertising

o  political election

1.                       familiarity

2.                       believability

o  personal vs. media influence

·    personal

o  heart disease study

o  college students

·    media

o  two-step flow of communication

1.                       media influences leaders, leaders influence others

o  comparing media

1.                       live most effective

2.                       written

3.                       message difficulty influences medium

-       4. who is audience?

o  age

§    younger influenced

o  what are they thinking?

§    forewarned = forearmed

·    counterarguments

·    sneak attacks

§    distraction

·    pictures

§    level of involvement

·    involved vs. uninvolved

Case Studies in Persuasion

-       cults

o  devotion

o  isolation

o  charismatic leader

-       how/why?

o  attitudes follow behavior

§    compliance breeds acceptance

§    foot-in-the-door

·    gradual progression

o  persuasive elements

§    communicator

·    charismatic

·    credible

·    trustworthy

§    audience

·    well educated

·    under 25

·    turning point in life

o  group effects

§    “social implosion”

·    no counterarguments