Chapter 7: Persuasion Flashcards
What is “persuasion”?
The process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors
What is the different between “central route” and “peripheral route” persuasion? How are these routes most effective for persuasion?
Central route - occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
Peripheral route - occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness
When issues don’t engage systemic thinking, persuasion may occur through a faster, peripheral route, as people use heuristics or incidental cues to make snap judgements.
Central route persuasion is more thoughtful and less superficial, and is more durable and more likely to influence behavior
What are factors that influence persuasion (e.g., the communicator, message content, etc.)?
The Communicator (who says it) The Message (what is said) How the message is communicated (how it is said) The Audience (to whom it is said)
What is meant by the “credibility” of the communicator?
Credibility = Believability
A credible communicator is perceived as both expert and trustworthy
What is the “sleeper effect”?
A delayed impact of a message that occurs when an initially discounted message becomes effective, such as we remember the message but forget the reason for discounting it.
Occurs when people remember the message better than the reason for originally discounting it.
How does one influence the degree to which they are perceived as an expert?
Begin with saying something that the audience believes.
It also helps to be seen as knowledgable on the topic.
What factors in the communicator are important for their ability to persuade?
- Perceived expertise: Communicators are more persuasive when they are perceived as expert users of the product
- Speaking style: Speaking confidently and fluently makes you appear more credible and thus, more persuasive
- Perceived trustworthiness: People are more willing to listen to a communicator they trust
What factors in the message content are important in persuasive messaging?
Message content is important in persuasive communication
- Well-educated or analytical people are responsive to rational appeals
- Is a logical or emotional message more persuasive?
- How should you present your message?
- Should the message express your side only, or should it have a counterargument?
- If people are to present both sides, is there an advantage to going first?
- How much information should be included?
What role do reason and emotion have in a persuasive message (i.e., in the content of the message)?
Messages can be more persuasive through association with good feelings, such as what often accompanies munching food or hearing pleasant music.
– A person’s initial attitudes are important as they are more persuaded by later peripheral, emotional appeals
Messages can be effective by evoking negative emotions such as fear
- Think of the anti-smoking campaign showing cigarette smokers all the horrible things that happen
- Playing on fear works best if a message leads people not only to fear the severity and the likelihood of an threatened event but also to perceive a solution and feel capable of implementing it
What affect do positive feelings and fear have in altering the persuasiveness of a message?
Messages can be more persuasive through association with good feelings, such as what often accompanies munching food or hearing pleasant music.
Playing on fear works best if a message leads people not only to fear the severity and the likelihood of an threatened event but also to perceive a solution and feel capable of implementing it
Is it better to have a one- or two-sided appeal in a persuasive message?
Showing both sides of an argument can be more persuasive if you were to debunk the
opposing side.
If the audience will be exposed to opposing views, it is best to offer a two-sided appeal.
Whether a one- or two-sided message is more persuasive depends on whether the audience already agrees with the message, is unaware of opposing arguments, and is unlikely later to consider the opposition.
What is the difference between the “primacy effect” and the “recency effect?”
Primacy effect – Other things being equal, information presented first usually has the most influence.
Recency effect – information presented last sometimes has the most influence. Recency effects are less common than primacy effects.
When two sides of an issue are presented separately, the primacy effect often makes the first message more persuasive. If a time gap separates the presentations, the more likely result will be a recency effect in which the second message prevails.
What factors affect the channel of communication in persuasiveness?
An important consideration is how the message is communicated.
Usually, face-to-face appeals work best.
Print media can be effective for complex messages.
The mass media can be effective when the issue is minor or unfamiliar, and when the media reach opinion leaders.
Which is most powerful in persuading others - contact with people or the media?
Persuasion studies demonstrate that the major influence on us is not the media but our contact with people
Worth of mouth or seeing our friends do something can be more influential.
What is the “two-step flow of communication?”
The process by which media influence often occurs through opinion leaders, who in turn influence others.
