際際滷

際際滷Share a Scribd company logo

Persuasion2 (1)

Download as PPT, PDF
Muhammad Nasir Ahmed
Muhammad Nasir Ahmed

Persuasion attempts are common in modern societies that rely on persuasion over force. Persuasion aims to influence beliefs, attitudes, and behavior through communication. The study of persuasion examines who delivers the message, the content of the message, the audience, and the effects. Early research by Hovland and colleagues tested how source credibility, message structure, and audience characteristics impact persuasion. Their experiments showed credibility, expertise, trustworthiness and likability increase persuasiveness. Later research analyzed real-world campaigns to understand persuasion across diverse topics and audiences.

1 of 40
Download to read offline
Persuasion Theoretical and practical concerns
Persuasion Attempts to persuade you are everywhere all the time That is, wherever you go now, someone is trying to influence you The attempts dont stopthey go on day and night Advanced industrial countries rely heavily on persuasion for social influence Less emphasis on brute force Mass communication available Persuasion is more efficient and may be more effective
Persuasion Persuasion is the use of communication to influence beliefs, attitudes and/or behavior If the persuasive communication is meant first and foremost to advance the interests of the speaker/author ahead of other considerations, it is propaganda The study of persuasion has been one of the main foci of media studies
Applied research Most persuasion research is meant to test specific persuasive communications strategies or tactics rather than to build theory Advertising research Copytesting Campaigns studies Propaganda studies Educational/persuasive campaigns Public health interventions
Theory development Theory may be developed and tested using scientific research methods Experimental studies, usually More often, the results of advertising, educational campaigns reviewed and theory is induced from real-world experience Advertising effectiveness monitoring
Hovland and colleagues First recruited to study the effectiveness of the U.S. governments attempts to educate soldiers and boost morale during World War II The Why We Fight series Followed up the American Soldiers studies with a program of research on persuasion Yale School of persuasion research
Hovland et al. Applied Lasswells paradigm for study: Who? Says What? To Whom? In Which Channel? With what effect?
Who? Hovland et al. looked at the effects of credibility of source on the effectiveness of attitude change messages. Controlled experimental designs Presented identical messages but varied the source of the message News stories and editorials supposedly written by sources of greater or lesser credibility, or from more or less credible news organizations
Hovland et al. The researchers found that credibility of the source was an important determinant of the persuasiveness of the message However, the impact of message source seemed to decay over time Sleeper effect Credibility of the source was tied to a number of characteristics Expertise Trustworthiness Likeability
Expertise Does the source appear to be knowledgeable on the topic? A source may be perceived to have expertise even if he doesnt Im not a doctor, but I play one on TV All sorts of actors dressed up as doctors in early commercials FCC restricted representations of sourcescannot be misleading or false
Trustworthiness If the source seems honest and straightforward we are more likely to be convinced by what she says The audience has some reason to believe the source is honest Newspersons commitment to objectivity Walter Cronkite A history of openness and honesty (self-disclosure) Oprah
Trustworthiness Another source of trustworthiness is situational. If the speaker or author is perceived to be arguing in favor of a position that is in her self-interest she will be less persuasive If you overhear someone talking you are more likely to be influenced than if they know you are listening An experiment with a supposedly overheard discussion led to greater attitude change
When the speaker argues against his own self-interest, he is more persuasive Joe The Shoulder Napolitano arguing for more stringent sentencing A group of wealthy people opposed to the repeal of the inheritance tax
Charisma Personal charm or likeability Ronald Reagan Teflon president Celebrity endorsements Not really clear why some people are appealing Physical attractiveness Physically attractive people are liked, trusted
Homophily If the speaker is a lot like the audience member, he is more likely to be persuasive Probably a combination of expertise (she understands me and my situation) likeability (people like those who share their view of the world) and trustworthiness (I can trust someone like me) In propaganda studies, this is called Just Plain Folks Candidates try to portray themselves as resembling the group they are targeting Eating ethnic foods Wearing work clothes
Sources Heavy use of celebrities Positive affect prior to advertising, etc. Natural on-air presentation Physical attractiveness Association with certain image, roles
Says what? (content) Structure of arguments One-sided v. two-sided Primacy v. recency Conclusive v. non-conclusive Rational v. emotional appeals Fear Humor Visual v. semantic appeals
Fear appeals Fear appeals have been heavily studied Hovland et al. concluded that moderate fear was the most effective Too little fear does not motivate Too much fear causes target to avoid message or implications More recent findings have led to conclusion that high levels of fear work well if a sense of efficacy is generated and clear means of dealing with the fear provided
Content Emotional content Pathos Humor Love Desire Jealousy Cultural symbolism Flags Weddings Cars
Framing Loss v. gain Episode v general trend Examples v. statistics False comparisons
To whom? Personality factors Self-esteem Curvilinear effect Education Two-sided messages are more effective with more formally educated while one-sided are more effective with less formally educated Rational appeals relatively more effective with more formally educated Interest Topical interest predicts topical knowledge and pre- existing attitudes (varies with demographics)
Gender Women are more persuadable May no longer be true Social norms/beliefs Active participation
Audience Targeting Choice of media based on the ability to reach a target audience Target is usually low hanging fruit Fish where the fish are Fish when the fish are biting Messages written for particular audience rather than for everyone Tailored messages are now possibleevidence indicates they are more effective
Audience Audience feedback is used to improve messages, further communicate with likely purchasers
With what effect? Learning Most common/easiest change Attitude change Especially when existing attitudes are not strongly held Behavior intention Most predictive of actual behavior Behavior Changing behavior is very difficult because of the multiple influences that determine behavior Biological, psychological, situational, cultural influences
With what effect? Sleeper effect Selectivity Interaction with education/demographics One-sided v. two-sided Boomerang effects
Effect Varies across topics/products, audiences, campaigns Information Attitude change Positioning/branding
What problems with the experimental method are there? One-time exposure Compared with campaigns people experience on a regular basis Forced exposure Negates selectivity Demand characteristics of experimental method Especially when carried out with students Overuse of available samples Students may not be people
What problems with the experimental method are there? Lack of competing messages Usually choose topics the audience knows little about
Campaigns Studies of the effectiveness of campaigns Advertising Political campaigns Propaganda campaigns Public health campaigns
Campaigns analysis The massive use of advertising allows for the testing of real-world media persuasion across a wide range of topics Meta-analyses of marketing/advertising campaigns Meta-analyses of copy tests Reviews of public health campaigns Comparison of political or propaganda campaigns and public opinion
General findings Memory for campaigns is low Recognition scores are better Attitude change is not often very great However, change does occur and can be significant under certain circumstances Topic is relatively unknown Media are consonant Topic is emotionally charged
Meta-analysis Lodish et al. Advertising works: A meta- analysis of 389 real world split cable T.V. advertising experiments TV advertising weight alone is not enough The status quo is not enough It is unlikely that there is a strong relationship between standard measures of TV commercial recall and persuasion for established brands and the sales impact of the copy
New brands or line extensions tend to be more responsive to alternative TV advertising plans than established products These data support the importance of introductory weight and prime time for new products Concentration of higher TV advertising weight is related to increases in brand sales
Persuasion2 (1)
Persuasion2 (1)
Persuasion2 (1)
Dual-processing theory Dual-processing theories argue that we process persuasive messages differently if we are motivated to attend to them and are capable of processing them than if we just monitor them at a very low level or are unable to process them Central v. peripheral processing
Central processing If we are motivated and capable of processing we will carefully review the arguments made to see if they are convincing according to rational argument Appropriate evidence Strength of argument, logic
Peripheral processing If we just give slight attention to a persuasive message, are not motivated enough to dedicate the effort to evaluate the logic and strength of argument, then we will tend to process according to peripheral cues Attractiveness of the source May be sexual Visual cues/attractiveness of the setting Music Emotion

More Related Content

Persuasion2 (1)

  • 2. Persuasion Attempts to persuade you are everywhere all the time That is, wherever you go now, someone is trying to influence you The attempts dont stopthey go on day and night Advanced industrial countries rely heavily on persuasion for social influence Less emphasis on brute force Mass communication available Persuasion is more efficient and may be more effective
  • 3. Persuasion Persuasion is the use of communication to influence beliefs, attitudes and/or behavior If the persuasive communication is meant first and foremost to advance the interests of the speaker/author ahead of other considerations, it is propaganda The study of persuasion has been one of the main foci of media studies
  • 4. Applied research Most persuasion research is meant to test specific persuasive communications strategies or tactics rather than to build theory Advertising research Copytesting Campaigns studies Propaganda studies Educational/persuasive campaigns Public health interventions
  • 5. Theory development Theory may be developed and tested using scientific research methods Experimental studies, usually More often, the results of advertising, educational campaigns reviewed and theory is induced from real-world experience Advertising effectiveness monitoring
  • 6. Hovland and colleagues First recruited to study the effectiveness of the U.S. governments attempts to educate soldiers and boost morale during World War II The Why We Fight series Followed up the American Soldiers studies with a program of research on persuasion Yale School of persuasion research
  • 7. Hovland et al. Applied Lasswells paradigm for study: Who? Says What? To Whom? In Which Channel? With what effect?
  • 8. Who? Hovland et al. looked at the effects of credibility of source on the effectiveness of attitude change messages. Controlled experimental designs Presented identical messages but varied the source of the message News stories and editorials supposedly written by sources of greater or lesser credibility, or from more or less credible news organizations
  • 9. Hovland et al. The researchers found that credibility of the source was an important determinant of the persuasiveness of the message However, the impact of message source seemed to decay over time Sleeper effect Credibility of the source was tied to a number of characteristics Expertise Trustworthiness Likeability
  • 10. Expertise Does the source appear to be knowledgeable on the topic? A source may be perceived to have expertise even if he doesnt Im not a doctor, but I play one on TV All sorts of actors dressed up as doctors in early commercials FCC restricted representations of sourcescannot be misleading or false
  • 11. Trustworthiness If the source seems honest and straightforward we are more likely to be convinced by what she says The audience has some reason to believe the source is honest Newspersons commitment to objectivity Walter Cronkite A history of openness and honesty (self-disclosure) Oprah
  • 12. Trustworthiness Another source of trustworthiness is situational. If the speaker or author is perceived to be arguing in favor of a position that is in her self-interest she will be less persuasive If you overhear someone talking you are more likely to be influenced than if they know you are listening An experiment with a supposedly overheard discussion led to greater attitude change
  • 13. When the speaker argues against his own self-interest, he is more persuasive Joe The Shoulder Napolitano arguing for more stringent sentencing A group of wealthy people opposed to the repeal of the inheritance tax
  • 14. Charisma Personal charm or likeability Ronald Reagan Teflon president Celebrity endorsements Not really clear why some people are appealing Physical attractiveness Physically attractive people are liked, trusted
  • 15. Homophily If the speaker is a lot like the audience member, he is more likely to be persuasive Probably a combination of expertise (she understands me and my situation) likeability (people like those who share their view of the world) and trustworthiness (I can trust someone like me) In propaganda studies, this is called Just Plain Folks Candidates try to portray themselves as resembling the group they are targeting Eating ethnic foods Wearing work clothes
  • 16. Sources Heavy use of celebrities Positive affect prior to advertising, etc. Natural on-air presentation Physical attractiveness Association with certain image, roles
  • 17. Says what? (content) Structure of arguments One-sided v. two-sided Primacy v. recency Conclusive v. non-conclusive Rational v. emotional appeals Fear Humor Visual v. semantic appeals
  • 18. Fear appeals Fear appeals have been heavily studied Hovland et al. concluded that moderate fear was the most effective Too little fear does not motivate Too much fear causes target to avoid message or implications More recent findings have led to conclusion that high levels of fear work well if a sense of efficacy is generated and clear means of dealing with the fear provided
  • 19. Content Emotional content Pathos Humor Love Desire Jealousy Cultural symbolism Flags Weddings Cars
  • 20. Framing Loss v. gain Episode v general trend Examples v. statistics False comparisons
  • 21. To whom? Personality factors Self-esteem Curvilinear effect Education Two-sided messages are more effective with more formally educated while one-sided are more effective with less formally educated Rational appeals relatively more effective with more formally educated Interest Topical interest predicts topical knowledge and pre- existing attitudes (varies with demographics)
  • 22. Gender Women are more persuadable May no longer be true Social norms/beliefs Active participation
  • 23. Audience Targeting Choice of media based on the ability to reach a target audience Target is usually low hanging fruit Fish where the fish are Fish when the fish are biting Messages written for particular audience rather than for everyone Tailored messages are now possibleevidence indicates they are more effective
  • 24. Audience Audience feedback is used to improve messages, further communicate with likely purchasers
  • 25. With what effect? Learning Most common/easiest change Attitude change Especially when existing attitudes are not strongly held Behavior intention Most predictive of actual behavior Behavior Changing behavior is very difficult because of the multiple influences that determine behavior Biological, psychological, situational, cultural influences
  • 26. With what effect? Sleeper effect Selectivity Interaction with education/demographics One-sided v. two-sided Boomerang effects
  • 27. Effect Varies across topics/products, audiences, campaigns Information Attitude change Positioning/branding
  • 28. What problems with the experimental method are there? One-time exposure Compared with campaigns people experience on a regular basis Forced exposure Negates selectivity Demand characteristics of experimental method Especially when carried out with students Overuse of available samples Students may not be people
  • 29. What problems with the experimental method are there? Lack of competing messages Usually choose topics the audience knows little about
  • 30. Campaigns Studies of the effectiveness of campaigns Advertising Political campaigns Propaganda campaigns Public health campaigns
  • 31. Campaigns analysis The massive use of advertising allows for the testing of real-world media persuasion across a wide range of topics Meta-analyses of marketing/advertising campaigns Meta-analyses of copy tests Reviews of public health campaigns Comparison of political or propaganda campaigns and public opinion
  • 32. General findings Memory for campaigns is low Recognition scores are better Attitude change is not often very great However, change does occur and can be significant under certain circumstances Topic is relatively unknown Media are consonant Topic is emotionally charged
  • 33. Meta-analysis Lodish et al. Advertising works: A meta- analysis of 389 real world split cable T.V. advertising experiments TV advertising weight alone is not enough The status quo is not enough It is unlikely that there is a strong relationship between standard measures of TV commercial recall and persuasion for established brands and the sales impact of the copy
  • 34. New brands or line extensions tend to be more responsive to alternative TV advertising plans than established products These data support the importance of introductory weight and prime time for new products Concentration of higher TV advertising weight is related to increases in brand sales
  • 38. Dual-processing theory Dual-processing theories argue that we process persuasive messages differently if we are motivated to attend to them and are capable of processing them than if we just monitor them at a very low level or are unable to process them Central v. peripheral processing
  • 39. Central processing If we are motivated and capable of processing we will carefully review the arguments made to see if they are convincing according to rational argument Appropriate evidence Strength of argument, logic
  • 40. Peripheral processing If we just give slight attention to a persuasive message, are not motivated enough to dedicate the effort to evaluate the logic and strength of argument, then we will tend to process according to peripheral cues Attractiveness of the source May be sexual Visual cues/attractiveness of the setting Music Emotion