Week 5 Flashcards
Persuasion
The process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours.
Propaganda vs. Education.
Central Route to Persuasion
Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favourable thoughts.
Typically more enduring.
Weak message will result in counter arguments.
Peripheral Route to Persuasion
Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as speakers attractiveness or similarity.
Uninvolved audience.
Heurisitics to make snap judgements.
What are the elements of persuasion?
The communicator, the message, the channel of message, the audience.
What makes a persuasive communicator?
Credibility, perceieved expertise and trustworthiness, attractiveness and likeness.
Credibility
Believability. A credible communicator is perceived both expert and trustworthy.
Sleeper Effect
A delayed impact of a message, occurs when we remember a message but forget a reason for discounting it, or its source.
Attractiveness
Having qualities that appeal to an audience. An appealing communicator (often someone similar to the audience), is most persuasive on matters of subjective preference.
To use reason or emotion:
Depends on audience: thoughtful or involved audience use central route so use reason.
Depends on how attitudes are formed: attitudes formed by emotion are better persuaded with emotion.
When is fear most effective?
When it is accompanied with a realisitic solution.
Small or large discrepancy?
High credibility - use large discrepancy.
High involvement with topic - use small.
One-Sided or Two?
One sided most effective with those who already agree.
Two sided most effective with those who don’t already agree.
Primacy Effect
Other things being equal, information presented 1st usually has the most influence.
Recency Effect
Information presented last sometimes has the most influence. Recency effects are less common than primacy. Recency more common when a time period separates the first message from the second.
Active experience or passive reception
Persuasion decreases as the significance of an issue increases for passive reception. Active experience creates more enduring attitudes.
Two-Step Flow of Communication
The process by which influence often occurs through opinion leaders, who in turn influence others.
“influencers.” Big indirect effect on behaviour.
Life Cycle Explanation
Attitudes change as people grow older.
Generational Explanation
Attitudes don’t change, older people hold onto attitudes developed when young, which differ from those attitudes being adopted today, creating a generation gap.
When are attitudes most likely to change?
Teens and early 20’s, and in old age as attitudes weaken.
Forewarning and distraction effects
Forewarning of potential persuasion results in prepared counter arguments, while distractions inhibit counterarguments.
Need for cognition
The motivation to think and analyze. Central Route.
Cults
Groups typically characterized by the distinctive ritual of their devotion to a god/person, isolation from surrounding “evil” culture, and a charismatic leader.
How do cults indoctrinate?
Compliance breeds acceptance, foot in the door phenomenon, persuasive elements, group effects.
How can we resist persuasion?
Attitude strength, information-processing biases, reactance, strengthening personal commitment, and inoculation programs.
Attitude Inoculation
Exposing people to weak attacks on their attitudes so that when stronger attacks come, they will have refutations available.
Inoculation Programs
Helping children prepare, and role play counter arguments to peer pressure and advertisements.
Selective Exposure
The extent to which people’s attitudes bias the attitude-relevant information they expose themselves to.
Selective Attention
The extent to which people’s attitudes bias the attitude-relevant info they attend to once exposed.
Selective Memory
The extent to which people’s attitudes bias recall and recognition of attitude-relevant information.
Reactance
A motive to protect and restore one’s self of freedom. Arises when someone threatens our freedom of action, resulting in an anti-conformity “boomerang” effect.
