Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Persuasion
Research Tradition
Carl Hovland
Effects
that in order to be successful in changing attitudes, persuasive messages had to overcome certain psychological barriers
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messages serve primarily to reinforce existing attitudes rather than change them.
Recent research has shown that persuasion is a complicated process in which the receptivity of the receiver is important.
Attitude
The all-important mediator that stands between the acquisition of new persuasive information and subsequent behavioral change
Attitude and action become inconsistent with one another This inconsistency causes anxiety that must be resolved.
L.
Festinger
Persuasion Models
McGuires Communication/ Persuasion Matrix Model Cognitive Response Theory The Elaboration Likelihood Model
of detail regarding the process of yielding to a new attitude Assumes that the input and output variables are sequential
Attempts to amend the matrix model An audience member yields to a new attitude depending upon cognitive responses to the message. Problem:
In
some cases persuasion occurs even though the audience member isnt thinking about the content of a message.
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Explains the process of persuasion by identifying the likelihood of a person to elaborate cognitively 2 distinct routes lead to persuasion:
Central Peripheral
Considerable cognitive effort for the audience member Attitude changes resulting from the central route show common characteristics:
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Does not involve considerable cognitive effort May occur in many ways
Simple
Relevance to the audience Using questions rather than assertions Using several sources to support arguments
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2. 3.
4. 5.
The likeability or attractiveness of the message source The credibility of the source The number of arguments the message contained The length of the arguments The degree to which the position is supported by others
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Variables
of the source
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Message-based persuasion and motives that produce attitude change or resistance Gender differences and emotions and their influence in the persuasion process Link between attitudes and persuasion Variables involved in the persuasion process
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