Social 7

Length

Long and strong = effective, central. Long and weak = less effective, peripheral. Short and strong = effective, central.

Elaboration likelihood model (ELM)

"A model describing two distinct routes (central and peripheral) that are used to process persuasive messages."

2. Subliminal persuasion

"A type of persuasion that occurs when stimuli are presented very rapidly at an unconscious level." - Lipton Ice experiment showed the influence is short-term, when the consumer is open or susceptible to the message. When the person is already "primed"

Systematic route processing (central)

"A type of processing of persuasive messages that occurs when people have the ability and motivation to carefully evaluate the arguments in a persuasive message."

Heuristic route processing (peripheral)

"A type of processing of persuasive messages that occurs when people lack the ability and motivation to carefully evaluate a persuasive message, and therefore and influenced only by superficial cues."

Persuasion

"Communication that is designed to influence a person's attitudes and behavior."

Peripheral cues

"Cues that are associated with the context of a message rather than the content. these cues include length of the message, the source of the message, and the speed at which the message is delivered."

1. Forewarning:

"Making people aware that they will soon receive a persuasive message." - forewarning about an upcoming persuasion attempt allows people to construct counter-arguments and is particularly effective for resisting persuasion. - With training on how to critically evaluate the legitimacy of the source, makes forewarning especially useful. - If a person recognizes an "emotional tactic" they feel negative toward the advertisement and company.

3. Inoculation

"The idea that exposure to a weak version of a persuasive message strengthens people's ability to later resist stronger versions of the message." -However, persuasive arguments may be effective when providing a direct counter-argument that refute the common reasons people give for not engaging in the target behavior.

2. Reactance

"The idea that people react to threats to their freedom to engage in a behavior by becoming even more likely to engage in that behavior." - Being able to engage in the behavior that is forbidden by the message increases reactance. - Moderating messages instead of abstinence messages are more persuasive and less likely to cause reactance.

Sleeper effect

"The phenomenon by which a message that initially is not particularly persuasive becomes more persuasive over time because people forget its source."

Culture

...

Six principles of persuasion:

1. Reciprocation - self-disclosure, cooperation/competition, compliance, pro-social behavior. 2. Social Validation - comply with a request if those who are similar to us are also complying 3. Consistency 4. Friendship/liking 5. Authority 6. Scarcity

How can subtle factors influence persuasion?

1. Emotional cues - fear based and positive emotion 2. Subliminal processing

How can you resist persuasion?

1. Forewarning 2. Reactance 3. Inoculation 4. Attitude importance

What factors influence persuasion?

1. Source of the Message 2. Content of the Message 3. Audience who receives the message Study: A fake disease is associated with coffee drinking. Those who drink coffee found both the strong and weak reports less convincing that those who do drink coffee.

4. Attitude Importance

Attitudes that are more important to us, are more likely to resist persuasion. - Increased attitude accessibility leads to greater acceptance of relevant persuasive messages. - Increased importance of values are more resistant to weak arguments that those who reflect on least important values. - Self control is a big indicator to how long we can maintain our attitude and resist persuasion.

Attractiveness

Attractive, like-able people are more persuasive than not-attractive, unlike-able people.

Which route is more effective?

Central processing is longer lasting and more resistant to future persuasion efforts.

Credibility

Competent and trustworthy sources - those who don't have an ulterior motive. People who argue unexpected positions - that may go against their own self-interest. The credibility of a speaker is particularly influential when people have recently been exposed to another persuasive message. Repeated exposure to a message leads people to assume it came from a credible source. Even non-credible sources can become more persuasive over time = sleeper effect.

Emotional cues: fear based:

Create the threat of impending danger or harm caused by engaging in a behavior. Common way for health-related behavior change. Evidence suggests this not a particularly effective approach - report they were highly influenced, but show lower levels of change than those who receive positive approaches (DARE example). Sometimes, fear appeals can lead to vulnerability and more careful processing which can produce more motivation to stop the harmful behavior (smoking). Focusing on short term consequences of behavior can be quite effective for fear appeals. Most effective when they force people to actually imagine having the disease or problem - heightened vulnerability. A narrative message is more effective than a statistical one. Self affirmation leads to greater acceptance of fear messages. It can also effectively enable an individual to objectively evaluate information that would otherwise evoke a defensive reaction.

Audience

Demographic factors: late adolescent and early adult years are most influenced by persuasive messages. People in late adulthood are more influenced than people in middle adulthood. Personality: High self monitors are willing to pay more for image conscious ads than informational images, while low self monitors are willing to pay more for informational rather than image conscious ads. People that are negative, are more influenced on avoiding negative outcomes. People that are positive, are more influenced by messages emphasizing positive outcomes. People need to think about things - enjoyment of engaging in careful and effortful processing of a message (central route processing), and are more persuaded by strong messages. People who do not think are more persuaded by attractive sources - they attribute desirable characteristics to messages that fit peripherally.

Elaboration likelihood model of persuasion

Hear/See the Message = high or low ability/motivation to focus If high = central route processing = persuasion. If low = peripheral route processing = persuasion.

Motivation to focus

If not involved or uninterested in the message, you would rely on peripheral cues. The familiarity of phrases used in a message can influence persuasion. Used a familiar and literal phrase - those that were motivated noticed both were the same by centrally processing it. Those that were not motivated accepted the familiar phrases, because they relied on peripheral cues. - manipulated increased involvement for half by telling them the task was a test that would be compared to a national sample. If the message people listen to involves them, it doesn't matter who delivers the argument (expert or non-expert). If the message people listen to doesn't involve them, an expert delivering the message is more persuasive than a non-expert. If the message is difficult to understand, people rely on peripheral processing, because central processing is made less productive.

Ability to focus

If you are distracted, central processing is more difficult (greater processing) therefore, you rely on peripheral cues. People can later process information they receive and process it, to accept or reject it. Even subtle factors can increase central processing - students who consumed caffeine before reading a study used more central processing. Study: Students heard a strong and weak study on 20% increase in tuition - half were distracted. Those who were distracted were persuaded by both messages, because they didn't have a chance to process the weaker one (make counter-arguments.

Stealing the Thunder

In law, volunteering the weaknesses of their own case, particularly if the believe their opponent will raise these issues. It is a highly effective way of reducing the impact of negative information.

Gender and susceptibility to persuasion:

Men use direct and assertive strategies, Woman use indirect and less assertive strategies. Women report using less submissive strategies than men, but it isn't true. One reason for this is social expectations differ: using direct and assertive strategies by women exposes them to greater social disapproval.

Emotional cues: positive emotion based:

People in a good mood are more easily persuaded than those in a bad mood and can lead customers to tip more. People in good moods tend to want to stay that way, so they may rely on more peripheral cues. For positive messages that will not disturb their mood they will use peripheral processing. Nodding your head can actually increase persuasion. People who are in a sad/neutral mood use more central processing. Humor can sometimes enhance persuasiveness.

Increasing recycling

Putting up persuasive message - It's important - can increase recycling more than a validating message - Sorry for the inconvenience.

2. Content of the message

Strong or weak arguments can be based on providing information or positive emotion, or fear. Length and discrepancy influence content strength.

Discrepency

The difference between the message and the audiences original attitude. Messages that differ a lot will be ignored. This explains why peoples beliefs become stronger over time. People tend to see information that supports their argument as quite strong and evidence that opposes as quite weak. Study: People read studies that supported or refuted their initial views about the death penalty. People who supported the death penalty rated the in favor article as strong and the against article as extremely weak.

How do we process persuasive messages?

The rate of delivery of the speech is more influential that the message presented. Strong speech = persuasive at both moderate and high rate of speed. Weak speech = persuasive at high rate, not at moderate rate.

Similarity

We remember messages presented by ingroup members better than those presented by outgroup members. We are persuaded by people who we identify with (identification with protagonists). Messages delivered by similar sources, even if coercive (similar birthday) E.g - Tupperware sales

The Source

Who delivers the message - attractiveness, similarity, credibility influences how persuasive the message appears to people.