Public Opinion and Persuasion

Public Opinion and Persuasion Chapter 9 What is public opinion?  The sum of individual opinions on an issue affecting those individuals A collection of views held by persons interested in the subject A person not interested would not contribute to public opinion on the subject   Self-interest  Its what brings a group together Once self-interest is involved, opinions don’t easily change  Importance of Events in public opinion Opinion is highly sensitive to events that have an impact on the public  Public opinion doesn’t anticipate events, it only reacts to them  Events trigger formation of public opinion  Events that are very large swing public opinion temporarily from one extreme to the other  The primary catalyst of public opinion is...  Public discussion Opinion Leaders Highly interested in a subject or issue  Better informed on the subject than the average person  Avid consumers of mass media  Early adopters of new ideas  Good organizers who can get people to take action  Types of Leaders  Formal opinion leaders – Elected officials – Presidents of companies – Leaders of membership groups  Informal leaders: – Respected by peers – Highly informed and articulate – Very credible  Only 10-12 percent of the public are opinion leaders Role of the Mass Media  PR people work through the mass media by providing them with information which shapes public opinion Theories about mass media effects Agenda Setting Theory: media content sets the agenda for public discussion  Media Dependency Theory: the media tell the people what to think about - not what to think  – media can have a moderate or powerful effect on the formation of opinions and attitudes, if there is no prior knowledge by the public  Framing Theory: journalists used select words, themes, treatments, pictures to frame a story we do this in PR Persuasion An activity or process in which a communicator attempts to induce a change in the belief, attitude, or behavior of another person or group through the transmission of messages  PR professionals design, place and repeat messages on behalf of the client - they speak, write and use visual images  Persuasion PR’s role is to persuade through communication  We use a variety of techniques to reach and influence audiences  Persuasion is necessary in a democratic society  Uses of persuasion Change or neutralize hostile opinion - the most difficult because you must overcome resistance to your message and fight an uphill battle for credibility  Crystallize latent opinions and positive attitudes  Conserve favorable opinions - easiest to achieve because people are already convinced - you’re jus reinforcing it  Stages of public opinion in the life cycle of an issue Definition of the issue  Involvement of opinion leaders  Public awareness  Government/regulatory involvement  Resolution  Factors in Persuasive Communication  Audience analysis: – knowledge of audience characteristics such as beliefs, attitudes, concerns, and lifestyles is essential in persuasion. It helps communicators tailor messages that are informational, answer a felt need, and provide a logical course of action - you can get the attitudes and beliefs from polling and surveys, and the demographic information from census data. Factors in Persuasive Communication  Source Credibility: – messages are more believable if the source has credibility: Three factors for credibility:  Expertise  Sincerity  Charisma Problems with celebrities? Factors in Persuasive Communication  Appeal to self interests: – publics become involved in issues or pay attention to messages that appeal to their psychological or economic needs Factors in Persuasive Communication Clarity of the message  Timing and Context:  – more effective if environmental or social factors make the subject familiar to the public  Audience participation: – you can change behavior more easily with involvement and participation / rallies, demonstrations bring a sense of belonging Factors in Persuasive Communication  Suggestions for Action: – tell them what to do and how to do it Factors in Persuasive Communication  Content and structure of message: – – – – – – – Drama Statistics Surveys and polls Examples Testimonials Mass media endorsements Emotional appeals Factors in Persuasive Communication  Persuasive speaking: – – – – Start with “yes” points Offer structured choices Seek partial commitment Ask for more/settle for less Tips on Persuasion Positive appeals more effective for retention of the message  Radio and television messages are more persuasive than print, but if the message is complex, print is better  Strong emotional appeals or fear arousal most effective when audience has minimal concern or interest in the top  Tips on Persuasion High fear appeals effective when a readily available action can be taken to eliminate the threat  Logical appeals, using facts and figures, are better for highly educated, sophisticated audiences than strong emotional appeal  Altruistic need can be a strong motivator. Men are more willing to get a physical to protect their families than to protect themselves.  Tips on Persuasion  A celebrity or attractive model is most effective when the audience has low involvement, the theme is simple, and broadcast channels are used. An exciting spokesperson attracts attention to a message that would otherwise be ignored Propaganda  Sells a belief system or constitutes political or ideological dogma Persuasion and manipulation  Limitations on effective persuasion include: – – – – Lack of message penetration Competing messages Self-selection Self-perception Ethics of Persuasion Don’t use false evidence in your persuasion  No illogical reasoning  Don’t say you’re an expert if you aren’t  Don’t use smear tactics or scare tactics to get people to listen  Don’t conceal your real purpose  Don’t advocate something you don’t believe  PR people are not…. Hired guns  Legal experts  – consult legal experts when needed, don’t rely on PR practitioners Persuasive messages require… Truth  Honesty  Candor   Why? – Message is already suspect because it is advanced on behalf of a client – Half-truths and misleading information don’t serve the best interest of the public