Final exam - smaller version

Communication Arts 310 with Kotowski at University of Tennessee - Knoxville

About this deck

By: Deborah Kelly-Summers
Textbook:

Persuasion: Theory and Research (Current Communication: An Advanced Text)
Created: 2010-05-10
Size: 119 flashcards
Views: 26

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WEEK 8

ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD MODEL

Basic assumptions of ELM

Persuasion can occur via one of two routes: the central route or the...
The central route involves the target?s engaging in issue-relevant thinking...
The peripheral route involves the target?s failure to engage in...
There is variation in the extent to which a person is likely to engage in...
Persuasion occurring via the central route is different from persuasion...
Central Route

Targets evaluate

The informational content of the message
The argument contained in the message
The amount of consistency between the contents of the message and other issue-relevant information
Peripheral Route
Notes about the routes
They are not mutually exclusive
We are often persuaded by some combination of both central and peripheral cues

Peripheral Route

Taken when elaboration is unlikely
Persuasive messages are responded to based on heuristic principles
Very little (if any) evaluation of the message occurs
Information peripheral to the message is considered in making decisions about the message
The less elaboration a target does about the message, the more likely s/he is to attend to peripheral cues

As the influence of one route grows, the influence of the other shrinks BUT processing via one route does not preclude processing via the other

The process of persuasion happens somewhat differently depending on the relative influence of the routes

2 broad factors influence the likelihood of a target to engage in central route processing ( elaboration )

Motivation to elaborate
Ability to elaborate

Factors impacting motivation to elaborate

Personal relevance of the issue to the target

Will increase the motivation to elaborate

Need for cognition
Distraction
Prior Knowledge
The valence (positive or negative) of the thoughts will have an impact on persuasiveness
The more positive are a target?s issue-relevant thoughts about a message, the more likely attitude change will occur in the direction advocated by the message
Positively valenced elaboration is most likely when

Need for cognition

How much a person likes to think
Will increase motivation to elaborate
Factors impacting ability to elaborate

Distraction

Anything in the persuasive setting that reduces focus on the persuasive message
Will decrease ability to elaborate
Can be useful to incorporate into a persuasive setting if the source knows that the target will have mostly negative thoughts about the content of the message

Prior Knowledge

How much knowledge a person has about the topic prior to hearing the persuasive message
More prior knowledge makes it easier to elaborate
Can diminish persuasion because counterarguments are easier to develop

Peripheral processing

In the absence of both the willingness and ability to process a message, cues peripheral to the message are considered
They are often responded to via some heuristic principle (decision rule) that determines what response we should have to the message: Credibility, Liking, Consensus (agreement)

Central Route Persuasion is Difficult

Motivation and ability to process must be present
Must induce favorable cognitive responses to the message and issue
peripheral persuasion is often attempted, however the central route is more effective.
Central route = longer lasting, more resistant to change, & more indicative of behavioral intent

Summary

ELM argues that the motivation and ability to think about a message determines the method by which a message may persuade
Central processing is contingent on motivation and ability to think about a message and will lead to persuasion if the thoughts resulting from the message are positive
Peripheral processing occurs in the absence of motivation and ability to think and results in less persistent persuasion

-Central route

longer lasting, more resistant to change, & more indicative of behavioral intent

Determined 3 elements affecting persuasion

Logos ? Message logic
Ethos ? Speaker credibility
Pathos ? Audience emotion/response
Source Effects : Influence the source of the message has on persuasive effect of message
All other factors held constant, the source makes the difference between persuasion or not

Pathos ? Audience emotion/response

Communication scholars studying persuasion still use this concept

Source Factors (Characteristics of the Source) Affecting Persuasion

Source Credibility Expertise
Has impact on persuasion immediately after the message, especially influential if message differs greatly from audience?s initial attitude
Source Credibility Trustworthines

Source Credibility Expertise

Refers to how knowledgeable a source is perceived to be on the topic

3 ways trustworthiness affects persuasion

Importance of topic to audience increases importance of trustworthiness
Emphasis on source qualities (ex: television)
Arguing against vested interest
Liking the more we like a communicator the more persuasive s/he will be

Source Credibility Trustworthines

(Perception that the source has no malicious or suspicious intent in communicating

Limitations to the impact of liking on persuasiveness

Not as influential as credibility
Decreases in impact as issue becomes more important to receiver
Disliked communicators are more persuasive if receiver chose to listen to the message
Television viewers thought Kennedy did a better job

Arguing against vested interest

Explicit intent to persuade = decreased trustworthiness IF issue is important to audience

Source Effects

Influence the source of the message has on persuasive effect of message

Source Credibility

Trustworthines s- (Perception that the source has no malicious or suspicious intent in communicating

Disliked communicators are more persuasive if receiver chose to listen to the message

Attractiveness ? the more attractive a communicator, the more persuasive s/he will be. EX: Kennedy ? Nixon Presidential Debates

Radio viewers thought Nixon did a better job (attractiveness increases liking)

**attractiveness is only persuasive if: Issue is unimportant to receiver and If credibility is in question

Unattractive communicators can be more persuasive because they are less liked

Similarity- communicators whom we see as similar to ourselves are more persuasive
Attitudinal similarity (someone who has a similar attitude) is most persuasive
Similarity on other factors can have indirect effect on liking, especially if issue is unimportant
*Dissimilarity can be more persuasive if someone dissimilar may have more/different information

Kennedy – Nixon Presidential Debates

Liking

the more we like a communicator the more persuasive s/he will be

Ex. Someone from Hawaii telling you about Michigan vs. someone from Michigan telling you about Michigan

Power- the degree to which a communicator can reward or punish you

Are powerful communicators persuasive in the long run

**Power works only under these circumstances
**Impact varies, especially as importance of issue varies

**Power works only under these circumstances

Receiver truly believes communicator can reward/punish
Source will use rewards/punishment to gain compliance
Source will find out about noncompliance

Attractiveness

? the more attractive a communicator, the more persuasive s/he will be.

Similarity-

communicators whom we see as similar to ourselves are more persuasive

-Attitudinal similarity

(someone who has a similar attitude) is most persuasive

Power-

the degree to which a communicator can reward or punish you

Each component of the model can impact persuasive effectiveness

Receiver Characteristics

Psychological Variables

Self-Monitoring
-Low self-monitors pay little attention to the impact of their behaviors
--High self-monitors pay a great deal of attention to the impact of their behaviors

Ex. Ad campaign: If you do drugs you support terrorism

Anxiety
People who are chronically low in anxiety
Pay more attention to communicator
Thus they become more susceptible to influence
Dogmatism : a closed, narrow system of beliefs or disbeliefs about reality

Anxiety

People who are chronically anxious
Avoid messages that produce more anxiety
Leads to blocking out of messages that frighten or worry them
They do not attend to these messages and are therefore not persuaded

Model of communication

Source, Message, Receiver

Dogmatism & Persuasion

-If source is in position of power, domatics are...
Based on dogmatic belief that power = correctness
Powerful source is more important than content of...
Self-Esteem the value, worth, regard one places on...
-Low Self-Esteem: Low confidence in their own...
-High Self-Esteem: More confidence in their own...
Sensation Seeking the need for varied, novel, and...
4 Dimensions of Sensation Seeking
*Sensation Seeking and Persuasion

Ad campaign

If you do drugs you support terrorism

4 Dimensions of Sensation Seeking

Thrill and adventure seeking ? physically risky activities
Experience seeking ? lifestyle, travel, music, drugs, unconventional friends
Disinhibition ? social stimulation, drinking, sex
Boredom susceptibility ? aversion to boredom produced by monotony

Self-Monitoring

- the degree to which a person conscientiously considers the social impact of his/her behavior

--Low Self-Esteem

Low confidence in their own opinions, thus easily persuaded

Low: lacking the above elements

Messages with HSV appeal more to high sensation seekers, maintain their attention-- Attention...
Need for Cognition : A person?s tendency to engage in and enjoy thinking, Enjoy expending...
High NCogs are more likely to think about and evaluate a message
Low NCogs are less likely to think about and evaluate a message ? likely be persuaded via...
Socio- demographic Variables

--High Self-Esteem

More confidence in their own opinions, feel they are able to challenge others’ persuasive attempts

High

novel, creative unusual, intense (auditory and visual), physically arousing, emotionally -strong, graphic/explicit, ambiguous, face-paced, suspenseful

Dogmatism

a closed, narrow system of beliefs or disbeliefs about reality

Low

lacking the above elements

Feminine participants of both sexes more susceptible to influence than masculine participants

Reasons
Measurement ? measures assessing sex differences in persuasion are created by men using male topics
Easier to influence when issue ?belongs? to opposite gender
Not a lot of support for this argument but its often cited in literature

Self-Esteem

the value, worth, regard one places on one?s self; positive self-concept

Sensation Seeking

the need for varied, novel, and complex sensations and experiences and the willingness to take physical and social risks for the sake of such experience (Zuckerman, 1979).

Males

aggressive and dominant, emphasis on individual interests and beliefs

Females

passive, emphasis on harmony and cohesion à socially desirable response

Need for Cognition

A person?s tendency to engage in and enjoy thinking, Enjoy expending energy and effort to process a message

Week 11 Receiver Factors Affecting Persuasion

* 3 Types of Persuasive Messages
Logical Appeals
Two messages with same goal, the message easier to understand will be more persuasive

Age

Highest level of conformity at ages 9-12

Comprehensibility can be compromised by environment

Inclusion of Evidence : Findings vary with regard to the effects of evidence...
findings support the use of evidence
Use of evidence produces more attitude change than no evidence and increases...
*Characteristics of Effective Evidence: Must coincide with belief system of...
Within a single exposure vs. Repeated exposure
Curvilinear relationship between repetition and attitude change

*Characteristics of Effective Evidence: Must coincide with belief system of receiver, be new to the receiver, Must be relevent to the claim being made

Repetition : How many times a message is conveyed to the receiver

At some point, repetition can lead to less attitude change - advertisements

Message-Sidedness

Inclusion of Evidence

Findings vary with regard to the effects of evidence in persuasion

Logical Appeals

Deal with what order to place information

Repetition

How many times a message is conveyed to the receiver

Message-Sidedness

- Describes whether a message addresses both sides or a single side of an argument.

Belief that order of information can affect persuasive impact and endurance of change

Recency vs. Primacy Effect
Number of Arguments
Implicit vs. Explicit conclusions

Emotional Appeals

Intense Language
Fear Appeals
Humor

One-Sided Messages

Ignore opposing arguments and are most effective for people in agreement with a message

Recency vs Primacy Effect

Deals with what order to place information
Belief that order of information can affect persuasive impact and endurance of change
Primacy Effect- Notion that what is best remembered was delivered first in a message

Found for

More interesting material
Familiar material
Less important issues
Controversial issues

When receiver is trying to evaluate source?s character ? implications for source credibility

Recency Effect

Number of Arguments

Number of arguments can increase comprehension
Less important than quality of arguments for highly involved receivers
More important than quality of arguments for less involved receivers
Expert source can increase attitude change by increasing number of arguments
Highly attractive sources are equally persuasive with both more and fewer arguments

1. Primacy Effect-

Notion that what is best remembered was delivered first in a message

EXPLICIT IS BETTER. If audience is already in agreement, implicit conclusions are effective

Emotional Appeals

2 kinds of intense language

Opinionated Language

- Opinionated rejection

Source derogates those who disagree

- Opinionated acceptance

Source praises those in agreement

Implicit vs Explicit Conclusions

-Deals with whether the sender articulates the conclusion the audience is supposed to draw or not

Explicit conclusions

are clearly spelled out , Explicit = more effective for persuasion

When to Use Opinionated Language

When receivers are neutral, opinionated rejection is effective
When receivers are highly involved and hold intense attitudes toward topic, non-opinionated language is more persuasive
Highly credible speakers are more able to effectively use opinionated rejection
Obscene Language
NO persuasive impact

Intense Language

- the degree to which the language in a persuasive message deviates from neutrality

Negatively impacts perception of speaker

*Fear Appeals
Four Parts to a Fear Appeal
Requirements for Fear Appeals to be Effective
Immediate and severe consequences of noncompliance to be...
Evidence
Delivery by highly credible source
Describing that harm could come to loved one is more...
Humor May be used to draw attention to a product and may...

Opinionated rejection

Source derogates those who disagree

*Fear Appeals

messages designed to convince receiver that some harm will come to receiver or someone important to receiver if claim is not adopted.

Opinionated acceptance

Source praises those in agreement

Four Parts to a Fear Appeal

Vulnerability to a threat
If you are vulnerable, then you should take action to reduce vulnerability
To reduce vulnerability you should adopt recommendation contained in message
Therefore you should accept the recommendation contained in the message

Humor

May be used to draw attention to a product and may aid in retention

Obscene Language

- Impacts receivers confidence ratings of speaker

**Fear Appeals

- messages designed to convince receiver that some harm will come to receiver or someone important to receiver if claim is not adopted.

Foot in the Door

Small initial request that guarantees compliance but is not too trivial to be dismissed by receiver
Request must be prosocial
Incentives must not be used
Same person doesn?t need to make subsequent request
Time delay is not an issue

Door in the Face

Based on norm of reciprocity
Begins with large request guaranteed to be refused followed by a moderate request
Same person must make subsequent requests
No delay ? time between requests must be very short, most effective if made in same contact
Must be prosocial appeal

3. Humor

May be used to draw attention to a product and may aid in retention

Comprehensive Messages

--Use a series of messages over time to gain compliance

The Scarcity Principle : Opportunities seem more valuable when they are perceived to be less available (based on perception)

Threat of losing something we value increases our perceptions of its value. Ex: Smoking and Mammography ads.
Ways by Which Decreased Availability is Created

Limited numbers- The perception that there is a small number to be obtained to begin with

Desirable characteristics unavailable elsewhere. Ex: Limited edition CDs, DVDs, comic books, baseball cards

- Time Limits

Creation of a deadline after which something will no longer be available. Ex. Clinique Bonus Time/ Home Shopping Network

Limited edition CDs, DVDs, comic books, baseball cards

want more of what we perceive ourselves to be unable to have

Begins in childhood, around age of 2 and carries to adulthood
Affects our buying behavior as well as our interpersonal/romantic behavior
Romeo & Juliet Effect/Hard-to-Get: Optimal Conditions for Scarcity Effects to Occur

Scarcity is arousing- Use the arousal as a cue to engage in cognitive assessment of the situation

-Become knowledgeable/aware of whether you want to enjoy the scarce resource or just possess it
*Reciprocity
3 Features of Reciprocity Making it Highly Effective
Very powerful
Unsolicited gifts result in a feeling of indebtedness
Can trigger unequal exchanges

*Reciprocity

Innate human compulsion to give back what we?ve been given
Possible evolutionary remnant ? original human societies survived based on trade

The Scarcity Principle

Opportunities seem more valuable when they are perceived to be less available (based on perception)

Time Limits

- Creation of a deadline after which something will no longer be available.

Defending Against the Power of Reciprocity

Reject the rule
Fully understand the value of the original gift
Distinguish between favors/gifts and sales pitches

Psychological Reactance

-want more of what we perceive ourselves to be unable to have

- Social Proof

Principle of human behavior that says we will determine what behaviors are correct by discovering what other people think is correct

Useful in persuasion because of the click-whirr response it elicits

Conditions Under Which Social Proof is Most Influential
At high levels of uncertainty

**Reciprocity

- Innate human compulsion to give back what we?ve been given

-Possible evolutionary remnant

? original human societies survived based on trade

Pluralistic ignorance

When we perceive others as similar to us

Reciprocal concessions

--- Perceptual contrast (??), Responsibility, Satisfaction

Social Proof

- Principle of human behavior that says we will determine what behaviors are correct by discovering what other people think is correct

Social Proof Manifest in a Variety of Places

Sales: Creating the impression that many people are buying your product
Television ratings: fake laughter makes the audience feel like a program is funny
Threatening social situations: murder cases, Suicide rates

Sales

Creating the impression that many people are buying your product

Television ratings

fake laughter makes the audience feel like a program is funny

Defending Against Effects of Social Proof

Determine the truthfulness of illusions of social proof

Threatening social situations

murder cases, Suicide rates

Are you misinterpreting because of lack of information

Focus your message on an individual rather than a group or crowd

About this deck

By: Deborah Kelly-Summers
Textbook:

Persuasion: Theory and Research (Current Communication: An Advanced Text)
Created: 2010-05-10
Size: 119 flashcards
Views: 26

About StudyBlue

“I have used this website for three exams, and I see a huge difference in my test results.”
Naj