Persuasion

1. Persuasion

2. What is persuasion? • Communication that has as its purpose the changing, modification, or shaping of the responses (attitudes or behavior) of the receiver(s).

3. Persuasion versus Informing • Persuasion involves arguing for a particular point of view. • Persuasion involves trying to change someone’s thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors.

4. 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’.

5. Cialdini’s Persuasion Heuristics • Reciprocation • Commitment and Consistency • Social Proof • Liking • Authority • Scarcity

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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)

10. 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.

11. 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

12. Patterns of Organization • Problem-Solution • Problem-Cause-Solution • Comparative Advantages • Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

13. 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.

14. 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?

15. 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.

16. 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.