Theory of persuasion Flashcards
What does persuasion involve?
Persuasion involves the ability to communicate to others in a way that encourages them to believe, behave or act in the way that is desired
What does the Hovland-Yale theory of persuasion suggest?
It suggests that whether a message persuades people to change their behavior depends not just on the message itself but on how the communicator presents it and who receives it also known as the recipients.
What is the role of the communicator in this theory and give an example?
The communicator is more persuasive when he or she is perceived as credible or believable. For example, a medical doctor.
Name the two factors of the message or communication in the theory.
Emotional appeal
Two-sided
Explain the emotional appeal and give an example.
Health messages that include a fear-related threat can change behavior. But the recipient must believe the negative outcomes can be avoided. For example, a message about the dangers of smoking is more persuasive if it explains how to quit.
Explain the two-sided factors in this theory?
The message could either contain messages about how smoking is dangerous for our health, or it could take about the pleasures and other benefits as well.
Give one strength of the theory?
One strength of the theory is that there is evidence supporting the theory’s prediction concerning the message. For example, James and Ronald presented 15- and 20-year-olds with messages about the dangers of smoking. The messages varied from high to low threat with there being statements like You might get cancer or other messages like it is hard work to stay away from tobacco. They found that the more persuasive messages were the ones that combined high threat with suggestion that it possible to quit smoking. This shows that the theory is correct in predicting emotional appeal is only persuasive when recipients believe they can cope with change.
Give one weakness of the theory?
One weakness is that the research does not support the theory’s view of self-esteem. Roy and Martin found that people with high self-esteem were actually easier to persuade than those with low esteem.
