Persuasion
What is persuasion?
• Communication that has as its
purpose the changing, modification,
or shaping of the responses
(attitudes or behavior) of the
receiver(s).
Persuasion versus Informing
• Persuasion involves arguing for a
particular point of view.
• Persuasion involves trying to
change someone’s thoughts,
feelings, and/or behaviors.
Ethics and Persuasion
• Persuasion is ethically neutral (it is
‘amoral’).
• Knowledge of persuasion can be
used as a defense.
• The source’s motives are considered
when making judgments of ‘morality’.
Cialdini’s Persuasion Heuristics
• Reciprocation
• Commitment and Consistency
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity
Witte’s Extended Parallel Process Model
• Fear Appeals
– use ‘gruesome’ content in the form of:
• vivid and/or personalistic language
• gory pictures
• Components of the Model:
• Threat (severity & susceptibility)
• Efficacy (response- & self-efficacy)
• Fear Control vs. Danger Control
EPPM continued
• First, we appraise threat.
– if moderate to high, then fear is elicited
– if low, then no motivation (dismissed)
• When we perceive threat, but no
efficacy, we engage in fear control.
• When we perceive both threat and
efficacy, we engage in danger control.
Summary of Fear Appeal Research
• Show sufficient threat
– moderate to high fear appeals are most
effective
• Show sufficient efficacy
– introducing an effective solution or course
of action strengthens a fear appeal
• The higher the source’s credibility, the
more effective the use of fear appeals.
Typical Domains of Persuasion
• Questions of Fact
– seek to persuade an audience to accept
the speaker’s view of the facts on a
particular issue
– e.g., Was there a Philadelphia
experiment? (Lorraine’s speech topic)
Domains, continued
• Questions of Value:
– Require judgments based on one’s beliefs
about what is right, wrong, good, bad,
moral, immoral, etc.
– Are usually organized topically
• The first main point establishes standards.
• The second main point applies those standards
to the topic.
Domains, continued
• Questions of Policy
– Deal with Specific Courses of Action
– Two types
• Seeks to gain passive agreement
• Seeks to motivate immediate action
– Must Address 3 Basic Issues:
• need
• plan
• practicality
Patterns of Organization
• Problem-Solution
• Problem-Cause-Solution
• Comparative Advantages
• Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
• First, gain the audience’s attention.
• Second, show the need for change.
• Third, satisfy the need by presenting a
plan that will remedy that need.
• Fourth, visualize the benefits and
practicality of the plan.
• Fifth, urge the audience to take action
in support of the plan.
Common Problems Using MMS
• Failure to analyze the problem first
• Failure to follow steps in order (do not
mix up or combine steps)
• Failure to balance coverage:
– students tend to skimp on the satisfaction and
visualization steps
• Failure to be specific in the satisfaction
step -- e.g, How much does it cost? Where can we
find it? How long will it take? What’s the phone
number to call?
Tips
• Be realistic in your persuasive goal
• Know your target audience and their
predisposition toward the topic
(whenever possible)
– one-sided vs. two-sided messages
– fear appeals
• Anticipate audience objections and
answer them in your speech.
Tips, continued
• Convince the audience, do not try to
coerce.
• Use evidence, logic, and argument to
persuade, but also appeal to emotions.
• Every element in your presentation --
appearance, tone, gesture -- should
reinforce your argument.