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.