Ch 5 Flashcards
persuasion
a communication from one person that changes the opinions, attitudes, or behavior of another person
opinion
that which a person believes to be factually true
attitude
a special type of belief that includes emotional and evaluative components — in a sense, a stored good or bad evaluation of an object
emotional contagion
the rapid transmission of emotions or behaviors through a crowd
central route to persuasion
the route that involves weighing arguments and considering relevant facts and figures, thinking about issues in a systematic fashion, and coming to a decision
peripheral route to persuasion
the route in which a person responds to simple, often irrelevant cues that suggest the rightness or wrongness of an argument without giving it much thought
reactance
when our sense of freedom is threatened and we attempt to restore it
inoculation effect
the process of making people immune to attempts to change their attitudes, by initially exposing them to small doses of the arguments against their position
Persuasion: The Central Route
▪ Relies on logic facts, figures, or
arguments
▪ Carefully think about and
process content
Persuasion: The Peripheral Route
▪ Uses irrelevant cues (surface
characteristics) to stimulate
acceptance of a message without
deep consideration of the issues
Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Starting with a small request before making a bigger request
▪ Feel a need to justify
initial commitment
Door-in-the-Face Technique
Starting with a large request before asking for a small request ▪Initial large request induces guilt in recipients
Low-Ball Technique
▪ Make the request easy, quick, or cheap
▪ Get a commitment
▪ Change the agreement to what you really want
Attractive and Likable Communicators
▪ Increases persuasive appeal…but only for trivial issues
Communicators that are Seemingly Similar to Us
▪ Students thought more positively of Rasputin when they believed they shared the same birth date
Fear-Arousing Messages:
▪ Low-fear: behavioral suggestions
▪ Moderate-fear: film with lung cancer x-rays
▪ High-fear: film + viewing gory operation
The most frightened were most eager to stop smoking
and get x-rayed
Fear-arousing messages containing specific instructions are much more effective
Vivid personal examples can be more persuasive than statistical evidence
1,000 Volvo owner ratings vs. 1 vivid, negative anecdote
Primacy Effect
▪ First argument remembered better
▪ Learn material more thoroughly; longer to rehearse
Recency Effect
▪ Second argument remembered better
▪ Material is still in short-term memory
Self-Esteem
Those with low self-esteem are more easily influenced by persuasive communication
▪ Less confidence in convictions
▪ More willing to give them up
Political Orientation
Conservatives
▪ Respond to fear-inducing arguments
▪ Cast issues in black-andwhite terms
Liberals
▪ Respond to fact-based, reasoned, and nuanced arguments
Audience Frame of Mind
Eating desirable food enhances persuadibility
Inducing a positive mood makes us more vulnerable to persuasion
Esteemaffirming feedback makes us more receptive to persuasive arguments
What are the 6 universal shortcuts to persuading others? How do they work?
1. reciprocity
obligation to give when you receive
.
2. scarcity
people want more of what they can have less of.
- authority
people will follow the lead of credible experts - consistency
looking for and asking for small commitments that can
be made which lead to larger commitments - liking
people prefer to say yes to people they like - consensus
people will look to the actions and behaviors of others
to determine their own.
The Effects of TV Watching
Correlates of heavy TV viewing:
▪ Racially prejudiced attitudes
▪ Sexist beliefs about women’s abilities and interests
▪ Less happiness; “the world is a sinister place”
