Social Psychology Chapter 7: Persuasion (Definition and Elements) PDF

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Social Psychology (A.Y. 2020-2021) Chapter 7 Persuasion
- Defining Persuasion and Different Paths
- Elements of Persuasion
- How Can Persuasion Be Resisted?...

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Bartolome – Castro – Ingco – Sevilla // 2P2

Social Psychology (PSY439) Chapter 7 – Pers Persuasion uasion Prepared by:

Paula Bernadette Bartolome Airish Castro Joanna Angela Ingco Marjorie Allyson Sevilla

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/waymaker-psychology/chapter/persuasion

1.

Defining Persuasion

Persua sion -

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

Cambridg e Di ctionar y -

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the action of persuading someone or of being persuaded “Persuasion is also a form of speech or writing that uses argument or emotion to make the listener or reader believe what the author is saying” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2021) Persuasion's power can enable us to promote neither the good nor the bad; the bad we call it “propaganda” and the good we call it “Education”. A message’s purpose and content elicit judgments of good or bad. Persuasion is everywhere. When we approve of it, we may call it “education.” - Mick Sinclair/Alamy Persuasion, whether it’s education or propaganda, is everywhere— at the heart of politics, marketing, dating, parenting, negotiation, religion, and courtroom decision making.

2.

Different Paths for Different Purposes “Central route processing can lead to more enduring change than the peripheral route. When people are thinking carefully, they rely not only on the strength of persuasive appeals but on their own thoughts in response.” (Petty and colleagues (1995, 2009) However, when issues do not engage a systematic thinking Peripheral Route occurs as none of us has the time to thoughtfully analyze all issues in that way people will simply rely on the simple method of heuristics such as “trust the experts” or “long messages are credible” (Chaiken & Maheswaran, 1994).

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A. What Path Leads to Persuasion? -

Elaborat ion -Likelihoo d Model -

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THE CENTRAL R OUTE o This type of route of persuasion is logically driven, it heavily depends on the quality of information as it uses data and facts to convince people of the argument's worthiness. o This will only work best if the targeted audience of persuasion is really interested in engaging and are willing to analyze the information that is given. o In order for the central route of persuasion to be effective in changing attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors, the argument must be strong and, if successful, will result in lasting attitude change. o E.g. When buying a laptop, computer or a car perhaps, the buyer will most likely focus on the quality of it, its speed and memory capacity etc. THE P ERIPHERAL R OUTE o This type of route of persuasion is an indirect route that uses peripheral cues to associate positivity with the message (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986) o This relies on incidental cues that have associations with characteristics such as positive emotions, attractiveness and even celebrity endorsements. o Focusing on cues that trigger automatic acceptance without much thinking o E.g. Celebrity endorsements about a specific product, can be in a form of billboards or television advertisements

First proposed by Richard Petty and John Cacioppo. The model describes the dynamics of persuasion. Consider the variables of the attitude change approach—that is, features of the source of the persuasive message, contents of the message, and characteristics of the audience are used to determine when attitude change will occur. There are two main routes in delivering a persuasive message:

B. What are the Elements of Persuasion? a)

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The Communicator

Bartolome – Castro – Ingco – Sevilla // 2P2 b) c) d)

The Message How the Message Is Communicated The Audience

positively or negatively evaluated (American Psychological Association, n.d.) ▪ Humor can overcome people’s resistance to communicators they don’t trust. ▪ Direct eye contact does not improve persuasion. Six Persuasion Principles (Cialdni, 2008) - page 195 of the book

Who Says? The Commu nicat or Communicator → t he person communicating the message Social psychologists have found out that WHO is saying the message affects how the message is received. People are more willing to agree to statements made by individuals who have a certain level of authority (e.g. politicians, celebrities, influencers etc.) What Makes a Communicator Persuasive? 1. CREDIBILITY → believability; a credible communicator is perceived as both an expert and trustworthy o A culmination of the communicator’s perceived expertise, speaking style, and perceived trustworthiness. o 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. o Perceived Expertise → refers to the degree to which a communicator is considered to be capable of making valid assertions (Willemsen et al., 2012). ▪ To become an authoritative “expert”, the communicator must begin by stating congenial views in relation with your audience ▪ Being knowledgeable is also an important aspect of coming across as a credible communicator. o Speaking Style → speaking confidently and fluently boosts people’s confidence in what a communicator is saying. ▪ Strike a balance between talking and listening. o Perceived Trustworthiness → the degree of confidence in the communicator’s intent to communicate the assertions he considers most valid (Willemsen et al., 2012). ▪ Trustworthiness is higher if the audience believes the communicator is not trying to persuade them. ▪ Having another source verify a communicator’s expertise in the subject matter would boost people’s trust towards the communicator.

PRINCIPLE

APPLICATION

Authority: People defer to credible experts.

Establish your expertise; identify problems you have solved and people you have served.

Liking: People respond most affirmatively to those they like.

Win friends and influence people. Create bonds based on similar interests, praise freely.

Social Proof: People allow the example of others to validate how to think, feel, and act.

Use “peer power” - have respected others lead the way

Reciprocacy: People feel obliged to repay in kind what they’ve received.

Be generous with your time and resources. What goes around, comes around.

Consistency: People tend to honor their public commitments.

Instead of telling restaurant reservation callers “Please call if you change your plans,” ask, “Will you call if you change your plans?” and no-shows will drop.

Scarcity:

Highlight genuinely exclusive information or opportunities.

2. o

o o o

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People

what’s scarce.

Peripheral Cues aid in establishing trustworthiness → factors that are external to the merits of an argument and can be used to provide a relatively low effort basis for determining whether an object should be

o o

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prize

A TTRACTIVENESS AND L IKING → having qualities that appeal to an audience An appealing communicator (often someone similar to the audience) is most persuasive on matters of subjective preference. Our liking may open us up to the communicator’s arguments (Central Route Persuasion) Trigger positive associations when we see the product later (Peripheral Route Persuasion) Attractiveness comes in several forms, with the most notable one being physical attractiveness. Similarity also influences how we are persuaded. We tend to like people who are like us. Mirroring → a behavior in which one person unconsciously imitates the gestures, speech

Bartolome – Castro – Ingco – Sevilla // 2P2

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MESSAGE C ONTEXT → refers to the circumstances surrounding a message. This may include the setting, the position of the people involved in the communication, appropriateness of the message, etc. (Fakude, 2020). FOOT-IN -THE -DOOR P HENOMENON → the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request. o Small requests can lead to bigger choices. o Before agreeing to a small request, think about what may follow. L OWBALL TECHNIQUE → a variation of the foot-in-the-door phenomenon; a tactic for getting people to agree to something. People who agree to an initial request will often still comply when the requester ups the ante. People who receive only the costly request are less likely to comply with it. o Works only if people verbally commit to their choice. o Works even if we are aware of a profit motive. DOOR-IN-THE -FACE P HENOMENON → a strategy for gaining concession. After someone first turns down a large request (the door-in-the-face), the same requester counteroffers with a more reasonable request.

patterns, or attitude of another person (Kelly, 2017). ▪ This affects how an individual’s notions on the person who is mirroring them, which can lead to building rapport with them Consumer generated ads were seen as more effective when the ad creator is seen as similar to the participant.

What is Said ? The Messa ge Cont ent Message Content → what the communicator is saying Reason vs. Emotion In terms of which is more effective, a reasonable argument or an emotional argument, it all depends on THE AUDIENCE OR THE RECIPIENT OF THE MESSAGE . o Thoughtful and involved audiences responds positively to the central route to persuasion (reasoned arguments) o Uninterested audiences travels the peripheral route (affected by their liking of the communicator) more often How people’s attitudes are formed also matters in deciding which type of argument they are persuaded with. o Initial attitude formed through the peripheral route

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Persuaded

more

by

One-sided Appeals Vs. Two-sided Appeals ONE -SIDED A PPEALS → persuasive communication that only presents one point of view (All Business, 2014). TWO -SIDED A PPEALS → persuasive communication that presents two points of view and then presents arguments to counter the opposing view (All Business, 2014) o If your audience will be exposed to opposing viewpoints, offer a two-sided appeal.

emotional,

peripheral route appeals. o

Initial attitude formed through the central route →

Persuaded more by information-based, central route appeals. THE E FFECT OF G OOD FEELINGS → Messages associated with good feelings are more persuasive. o Enhances persuasion by reinforcing positive thinking by linking good feelings with the message. o Individuals who are in a good mood make faster yet more impulsive decisions; they rely more on peripheral cues. THE E FFECT OF A ROUSING FEAR → Messages that evoke negative emotions can also be persuasive. o The more frightened and vulnerable people feel, the more they respond. o Used in advertisements that discourages smoking, warnings against risky sexual behavior, etc. o Works best if the message isn’t just to showcase an issue’s severity but also to perceive a solution for the issue and how to implement it. o Gain Messages → appeals that focus on what you can gain by using a preventive product o Humor mitigates some negative effects of fear appeals

Primacy Vs. Recency P RIMACY E FFECT → other things being equal, information presented first usually has the most influence o People’s preconceptions control their interpretations. o When two messages are back-to-back, followed by a time gap, the primacy effect usually occurs. o When encountering two people or products, people tend to prefer the first presented option

R ECENCY E FFECT → information presented last sometimes has the most influence. Recency effects are less common than primacy effects. o Forgetting creates the recency effect when: ▪ Enough time separates the two messages ▪ The audience commits itself soon after the second message

Message Context

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Bartolome – Castro – Ingco – Sevilla // 2P2 Mere Repetition Can make things believable Serves to increase a statement’s FLUENCY (the ease with which it spills off our tongue) which increases believability Rhyming → further increase fluency and o believability o Whatever makes for fluency (familiarity, rhyming) also makes for credibility Repeated clichs can cover complex realities Several repetitions of a simple alternative story can counteract a falsehood

Best Advice for a Good Persuasive Message Content R EASON VS . E MOTION → Use logic or emotion, depending on the audience and the message MESSAGE CONTEXT → Ask a small favor before making a big request ONE -SIDED A PPEALS VS . TWO-SIDED A PPEALS → Offer a twosided message that challenge arguments against your message P RIMACY VS . R ECENCY → Go first or last for best results

Familiarity The more familiar people are with an issue, the less persuadable they are Retractions of previously provided information rarely work o People tend to remember the original story, not the retraction o Even correct information may fail to discount implanted misinformation

How Is It Sa id? The Chan nel of Communication Persuasion requires communication Communication requires a channel Channel

Personal vs. Media Influence

Means used to transmit information from one person to another person or more Some examples include face-to-face appeals, written sign or document, and media advertisements

P ERSONAL I NFLUENCE o Personal contact serves as the major influence in persuasion o Face-to-face influence is usually greater than media influence o Modern selling strategies seek to harness the power of word-of-mouth personal influence through “viral marketing,” “creating a buzz,” and “seeding” sales MEDIA I NFLUENCE o Should not be underestimated o Media serves as the common source of information of people who personally influence others’ opinions o Combining personal contact and media influence can be most effective

Active Experience Strengthens attitudes When we act, we amplify the idea behind what we’ve done, especially when we feel responsible E XPERIENCE-BASED ATTITUDES are more confident, more stable or enduring, more influential to behavior, and less vulnerable to attack Consumers who have interactive experiences with brands and products are more engaged Passive Reception Sometimes effective and sometimes not Includes WRITTEN and VISUAL appeals o Both have similar hurdles to overcome o A lot of them are relatively ineffective o Commonsense Psychology places faith in the power of written words o People often overestimate the power of spoken words because they are enamored by it

Two-step flow of communication Many of the media’s effects operate this way Reminds us that media influences penetrate the culture in subtle ways If the media had little direct effect on people’s attitudes, they could still have a major indirect effect 1. FROM MEDIA TO OPINION LEADERS AND TRENDSETTERS (THE INFLUENTIAL ) o Opinion leaders → individuals perceived as experts ▪ People in all walks of life who have made it their business to absorb information and to inform their friends and family

Mere Exposure Mere exposure to an unfamiliar stimuli breeds liking Advertising exposure can make someone or something unfamiliar into a familiar one

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Bartolome – Castro – Ingco – Sevilla // 2P2 ▪ ▪ 2. o

Attitudes of older people usually show less change than do does of young people ▪ Causes generation gap because young people today adopt different attitudes ▪ Most evidence supports generational explanation A DOLESCENCE AND E ARLY A DULTHOOD o Teens and early twenties are important formative years o Critical period for the formation of attitudes and values o Attitudes are changeable o Young people are advised to choose their social influence (groups, media, roles) carefully ▪ People are more susceptible to joining cults during young adulthood o Experiences during these periods are formative partly because they make deep and lasting impressions MIDDLE A DULTHOOD o Period in which the attitudes formed tend to stabilize o Resistance to attitude change peaks because people tend to occupy higher power social roles, which call forth resoluteness o Can still be flexible L ATE A DULTHOOD o Older adults may become more susceptible to attitude change, perhaps because of a decline in the strength of their attitudes

Includes talk show hosts, editorial columnists, teachers, doctors Media persuades these people so they can influence others

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FROM OPINION LEADERS TO EVERYONE ELSE Opinion leaders pass the ideas they got from the media to other people

Comparing Media Lumping together all media, from mass mailings to television to social networking, oversimplifies Difficulty of the message interacts with the medium to determine persuasiveness The more lifelike the medium, the more persuasive its message Order of Persuasiveness (from most to least persuasive) 1. 2. o o

3. 4. o o

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L IVE (FACE-TO -FACE) VIDEOTAPED Best easy messages TV medium takes control of the pacing of the message away from the recipients. ▪ Draws attention to the communicator and away from the message itself ▪ Encourages people to focus on peripheral cues A UDIOTAPED WRITTEN Best for difficult messages Helps people to better comprehend and recall messages ▪ Comprehension → one of the first steps in the persuasion process Recipients have the control of the pacing

Audience’s Thoughtfulness: What are they thinking? The crucial aspect of central route persuasion is the RESPONSES IT EVOKES IN A PERSON ’ S MIND o What we think in response to a message is crucial, especially if we are motivated and able to think about it o Favorable thoughts persuade us o Contrary arguments leave us unpersuaded FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED o Knowing that someone is going to persuade you breeds counterargument o Preparing arguments to counter every conceivable argument can make persuasion less likely DISTRACTION DISARMS COUNTERARGUING o Distraction that inhibits counterarguing enhances persuasion ▪ People who are multitasking are less likely to counterargue o Distraction is especially effective when the message is simple o Distraction may preclude our processing of an ad ▪ Ads viewed during violent or sexual TV programs are so often forgotten and ineffective

Influence of adults on children Communication flows from adults to children Getting children to listen is not always easy Adults’ appeals should be effective

To Who m Is It Said ? The Audien ce Audience’s Age: How old are they? TWO POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR AGE DIFFERENCES : o Life cycle explanation ▪ Attitudes change as people grow older o Generational Explanation ▪ Attitudes do not change ▪ Older people largely hold onto the attitudes they adopted when they were young

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Bartolome – Castro – Ingco – Sevilla // 2P2 UNINVOLVED AUDIENCES USE PERIPHERAL CUES o People with high need for cognition ▪ Analytical people ▪ Prefers central routes ▪ Analyzes arguments, thinks carefully, and formulates responses ▪ More persuaded by information and arguments o People with low need for cognition ▪ Conserve their mental resources ▪ Quicker to respond to peripheral cues ▪ More persuaded by pleasantness, design, communicator’s attractiveness, and other peripheral cues S TIMULATING THINKING o Makes strong messages more persuasive o Makes weak messages less persuasive because of counterarguing o Should not only care about images and messages but also about how the audience is likely to react o Should get people to think actively and foster the central route of persuasion WAYS TO STIMULATE PEOPLE ’ S THINKING o Use rhetorical questions o Present multiple speakers o Make people feel responsible for evaluating or passing along the message Repeat the message o o Get people’s undistracted attent...