Chapter 5 - Persuasion Flashcards
define persuasion
the process by which a message induces a change in beliefs, attitudes or behaviours
what are the 2 routes of persuasion?
central and peripheral
define the central route to persuasion
this is when people are motivated and able to think systemically about issues, usually focusing on the arguments. The stronger and more compelling the arguments are, the more likely persuasion will function. weak arguments will backfire as people will counter-argue
- facts/ideas
-quality of product
-consideration of pros and cons
define the peripheral route to persuasion
rather than noticing whether the arguments are god or not, we might follow this route and focus more on the cues that trigger acceptance without much thinking. people are not motivate/busy, want to use cues that don’t require a lot of thinking.
- attractive people/celebrities
-people who appear as experts
-flashy, visually appealing
what are the 4 key things when it comes to persuasion?
the communicator, the message, how the message is communicated and the audience.
who says what, by what method, to whom
what are the important elements of the communicator?
- credibility (perceived expertise and trustworthiness)
- attractiveness (qualities that appear to an audience, is the most persuasive technique )and liking
- similarity
define the sleeper effect
a delayed impact of a message, occurs when we remember the message but forgot a reason for discounting it
what are the important elements of the content of the message?
- reason vs. emotions (thoughtful, involved audience = central route, disinterest audiences = peripheral route)
- good feeling (become more persuasive when associated with a good feeling, ex. eating candy)
- arousing fear (can be more persuasive then a good feeling, cognitive dissonance = can change behaviour or attitude, whatever is easier)
- discrepancy (big = big change, credible source, small = small change, not a very credible source)
- one-sided vs. two-sided (one: only mention pros, works best for people who already agreed, two: both pros and cons, when the audience is exposed to opposing views, creating trust)
- primacy vs. recency
define primacy and recency effects
primacy: info presented early is the most persuasive, first impressions (message 1 then message 2 then 2 = message 1 is accepted)
recency: info presetnaed last can have the most influence sometimes, less common than primacy, long periods of time can prioritize this
(message 1 then time then message 2 = message 2 is accepted)
what are some important elements of how the message is delivered?
- mere exposure (the more you see someone)
- rhyming, familiarity can also increase believability and fluency
- personal vs media influence
- difficult messages were best when written, easy when videotaped
define the 2 step flow of communication
the process by which media influences often occur through opinion leaders, who in turn influences others
what are the important aspects of the audience?
- age (attitudes change as people grow older, but sometimes people can hold onto things creating generation gaps)
- if you think that counter-arguments will be presented (distraction disarms counter-arguing)
define hindsight analysis
it uses persuasion principles as categories for explaining fascinating/disturbing social phenomena
define cults
groups typically characterized by:
1. distinctive ritual of their deviation to a god/person
2. isolation from the surrounding “evil” culture 3. a charismatic leader
what are the persuasive elements that are used in cults?
communicator: a charismatic leader
message: emotional messages to show warmth and acceptance to newcomers
audience: look towards people who are younger and haven’t yet stabilized their values and attitudes
