2021-Social-Psychology -Lecture-Notes-Persuasion-6A PDF

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Social Psychology Lecture Notes

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Social Psychology

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Persuasion

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“To swallow & follow” or “…be a free agent”….

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…which is it?

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Persuasion...matters

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Process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors

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Education or propaganda?

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Issues on… o Global warning o Weird beliefs o Trillion dollar war o Promoting healthier living o Recruiting terrorists for ISIL o Existential threats 0

To Israel, U.S.?

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What Paths Lead to Persuasion?

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Factors related to: o Communicator, message, channel, audience 1

(C. Hovland at Yale) 1

Social Psychology Lecture Notes

o Cognitive responses – clear/ convincing 2 

(Ohio State U)

Central Route – (Explicit) o Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

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Peripheral Route (implicit) o Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness o Focuses on cues that trigger automatic acceptance without much thinking

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Persuasion Elements

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Who Says? The Communicator o Credibility 3

Believability 0 Sleeper effect 1

Delayed impact of a message that occurs when an

initially discounted message becomes effective, as we remember the message but forget the reason for discounting it

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What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

2

Social Psychology Lecture Notes

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Who Says? The Communicator o Credibility 4

Perceived expertise 2 Knowledgeable 3 Speak confidently

5

Perceived trustworthiness 4 Eye contact 5 Arguing against own self-interest 6 Speak quickly

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What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

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Who Says? The Communicator o Attractiveness and liking 6

Physical attractiveness

7

Perceived Similarity 7 In values, attitudes, group identification

8

Mimicry and attractiveness? 8 J. Blascovich, Bailenson, Yee

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What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

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What Is Said? (Message Content)

3

Social Psychology Lecture Notes

o Reason versus emotion (depends on the audience) o Reason works with more educated, analytical people 9

Effect of good feelings 9 …use peanuts and Pepsi! I. Janis (‘65)

10

Effect of arousing fear

10 Scare the hell out of them! 11 Saliency is important 12 Provide a solution 

The Message itself

Discrepancy 11

Depends on the communicator’s credibility

12

And the range of the audience’s “acceptability”

o A credible source (T.S. Elliot) 13

Is more persuasive for a highly discrepant message

14

-what exercise regimen should Nicole recommend for her

father 13 Depends on what? 

What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

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What Is Said? The Message Content o One-sided versus two-sided appeals

4

Social Psychology Lecture Notes

15

Which one is more effective?

14 Depends on whether the audience already agrees with the message; if the audience is unaware of opposing arguments, it is unlikely later to consider the opposition 15 If they already oppose it, give both sides 16 …Or if they already know the opposing view 17 …Or if you know they will hear it 18 E.g. ….. “….now Senator McCain is going to tell you that….” 19

“O” during the presidential campaign..”

20

C. Hovland (1949) tested it out with U.S. soldiers WWII

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What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

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What Is Said? The Message Content o Primacy versus recency 16

Primacy effect

21 Other things being equal, information presented first usually has the most influence 22 17

E.g. “..intelligent…..to envious” (S. Asch, ‘46)

Recency effect

23 Information presented last sometimes has the most influence. Recency effects are less common than primacy effects 24 But it works when there is:

5

Social Psychology Lecture Notes

25

1. sufficient time between for forgetting the first

26

2. And the audience commits itself soon after the

second message

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What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

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How Is It Said? The Channel of Communication

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-Face to face/sign/media ad o On sermons (T. Crawford, ‘74)– “bigotry and prejudice” – when asked: 18

10% recalled the topic

19

30% recognized the topic

20

-little or no effect!

21

Must be:

27 Attention getting, understandable, memorable, compelling o Active experience or passive reception? 22

Active experience strengthens attitudes (self-perception?)

23

Repetition and rhyming of a statement serves to increase its

fluency and believability 24

What about “hands up, don’t shoot!” ?

6

Social Psychology Lecture Notes

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What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

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How Is It Said? The Channel of Communication o Personal versus media influence 28 Personal - tell them to vote to change that city charter provision! (75% complied!) 29 Personal – most change in Watsonville with personal appeals to change high risk behaviors for heart disease 25

Media influence: The two-step flow

30 Process by which media influence often occurs through opinion leaders who, in turn, influence others 31 Media -> Opinion leaders & “trend setters” (the “influentials”) 32

-> rank and file (us)

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What Are the Elements of Persuasion?

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How Is It Said? The Channel of Communication o Personal ( Attitude) 38

Voluntarily (perceived free choice)

39

Publically

40

repeatedly

o Compliance breeds acceptance 41

Initiates become active members of the group

o Foot-in-the-door phenomenon 42

Gradual induction – one step at a time-

51 Jim Jones “People’s Temple” example 

Extreme Persuasion: How Do Cults Indoctrinate?

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Persuasive Elements o Communicator 43

Charisma --How did Jim Jones establish his “credibility?

o Message 44

The “one way” to solve your problems… 10

Social Psychology Lecture Notes

45

Direct appeal, small group discussions, social pressure

52 The recruits’ need for approval and to belong o Audience 46

25 and younger….more malleable attitudes

47

Educated, middle class, idealistic

48

In crisis

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Extreme Persuasion: How Do Cults Indoctrinate?

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Group Effects o Social implosion 49

Isolation of members with like minded groups

53 External ties weaken until the group collapses inward socially 54

Monasteries

55

Military organizations

56

Fraternities and sororities

57

Therapeutic communities for recovering drug and

alcohol abusers 58 Strong social group norms prevail (conformity, obedience) 59

Through need for information or group approval? (S.

Asch) 60 Can start with “folie a deux” Applewhite & Nettles 61

True of Boston Marathon bombing as well?

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Social Psychology Lecture Notes

o Is all group indoctrination bad? 

How Can Persuasion Be Resisted?

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Challenging authority: o Dogmatic authority v. expert authority

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Strengthening Personal Commitment o Make a public commitment to your argument

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Challenging beliefs o A mild challenge (not strong enough to persuade) 62 Causes them to become even more committed to their positon o Developing counterarguments 50

Attitude inoculation (W. McGuire, ‘64)

63 Exposing people to weak attacks upon their attitudes so that when stronger attacks come, they will have refutations available 

How Can Persuasion Be Resisted?

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Real-Life Applications: Inoculation Programs o Inoculating children against: 51

Peer pressure to smoke

64 Role playing on how to resist – gave them ammunition 65 Elicit a public commitment not to smoke

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Social Psychology Lecture Notes

52

The influence of advertising

66 Are there two sides to this? 67

Harmful v. beneficial

68

Can you think of any beneficial uses of ads?

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How Can Persuasion Be Resisted?

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Prepare others to counter persuasive appeals

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An ineffective appeal can be worse than none

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A way to strengthen existing attitudes is to weakly challenge them

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