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Question 1

Hovland -Yale Theory of persuasion

What did Carl Hovland argue?

Answer 1

Carl Hovland and his colleagues argued that there are 3 main factors that contribute to whether a message persuades people to chnage their attitude or behaviour.

Question 2

Hovland -Yale Theory of persuasion

The Communicator (source)

Answer 2

Must be percieved as credible/ and expert in their area. For example, using a doctor as a coomunicator in a health campaign or an ex-drug user as the communicator in a addiction campaign.

Question 3

Hovland -Yale Theory of persuasion

The communication (message)

Answer 3

must include emotional appeal alongside an explanation of how to avoid negative outcomes. For example, an anti smoking campaign is more likely to work as it arouses fear, but still explains how to quit. the commmunication should also also consider both sides of the argument so they are not perceived as one sided/ biassed.

Question 4

Hovland -Yale Theory of persuasion

The Recipients (audience)

Answer 4

highly intelligent people with high self esteem are less easy to persuadre becuase they possess the cogitive ability to process complex messages and the confidence to resist persuasion.

Question 5

Fear Arousal Theory of persuasion

What did Janis and Feshbach propose?

Answer 5

they proposed a fear arousal theory and argued that the persuasive message can change attitudes and behaviours if they arouse fear in the recipients.

Question 6

Fear Arousal Theory of persuasion

Early Theories

Answer 6

Dollard and Miller suggested that fear motivates people to change their behaviour as the relief from unpleasent fear is negatively reinforcing. For example, anti-smoking campaigns often show the consequences of lung damages in graphic details followed by a soulution which is a chnage in behaviour that will reduce the state of fear (e.g. replace cigarette with nicotine patches).

Question 7

Fear Arousal Theory of persuasion

Fear-behvaiour relationships

Answer 7

Janis and Feshback contradicted this theory by arguing the relationship between fear arousal and change in behaviour is curvlinear and not linear i.e. moderate fear is more likely to produce the motivation to vhnage behaviour. Too much fear, does not alarm people enough to change, but high levelsw can produce to much fear that the person enters a state of denial e.g. i would never drink that much so this advert isnt aimed at me, which is still negatively reinfrocing but does not change behaviour.