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Persuasion (1 of 6)

Can you think of a recent time when someone or a group persuaded you? Though persuasion involves being influenced by others, being persuaded involves more than behaving as others do or following the directives of others. Persuasion involves an actual shift in your belief and attitude as a direct or indirect result of a communication or message from another entity. Persuasion involves "person" factors, such as personality and cognition, and "situation" factors, such as the message and the messenger. We will now address these factors.

As we watch television or use the Internet, note how advertisers try to take advantage of our tendency to utilize potentially persuasive "shortcuts" to make a decision. We are motivated to make accurate decisions but often do not have the time or the knowledge to do so; therefore, we tend to be easily persuaded when people with credibility present that information to us, even through a quick way such as an advertisement. If a person who looks like a dentist touts the benefits of a specific toothpaste—and backs up the toothpaste's strengths with research or scientific images—we are more easily persuaded to purchase that product.

 Another "shortcut" when making a decision is relying on the trustworthiness of the communicator of a message. This factor has less to do with specialized knowledge or training than the apparent honesty of the communicator. The more honest the communicator appears, the more likely we are to be persuaded. When we want to make an accurate decision—and quickly—trustworthy communicators often influence us. For example, for years Charter hospitals, specializing in offering mental-health services, used the following slogan to close their television advertisements: If you don't get help at Charter, get help somewhere . This message persuaded viewers because it appeared to be in the viewers' best interests rather than in the hospital's best interests.

A characteristic that makes the messengers seem trustworthy is if they present information in a straightforward way rather than in an overly people-pleasing way. We tend to trust people when they do not seem to be trying too hard to win us over. When people are straightforward, they seem to have our best interests at heart because they seem to convey what we really need to know—facts.

While evaluating the persuasive power of a message, you should pay attention to whether the message contains any "shortcuts," as described previously. If the message contains such shortcuts, try and ascertain how many shortcuts there are. In effect, you should evaluate whether the message contains knowledge or expertise and whether or not it is likely to create a sense of trust in the audience

Similarly, if you were advising people on how to be more persuasive or convincing, consider the audience and what would be relevant to them. For example, does the audience consist of parents who are going to be concerned about issues that affect their children?

In addition, in your consultant role, you could ensure that a person conveys expertise. For example, when the person is introduced to the audience, someone relevant to the scenario could "prime" the audience with the person's credentials and years of training in the currently relevant area.

Finally, in your consultant role, you could ensure that the person conveys a trustworthy character. For example, the person could mention disadvantages of the presented material while outweighing these with important advantages. In addition to the above theories, other theories of persuasion exist. Let's learn about these theories next.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

The Elaboration Likelihood model asserts that you can either peripherally or centrally process information that might change your attitude.

When you process information centrally, it means you focus on the content of a message, such as its logic, or lack thereof. For instance, you read as much information as possible about the product, candidate, or service before logically weighing its pros and cons.

On the other hand, when you process information peripherally, you attend to the information that is marginal to the content of the message. Information gathered peripherally includes information about the messenger or the length of the message.

It seems that when you have limited time and energy, you are more likely to engage your peripheral-processing ability because it does not involve focusing deeply on the information. You require more mental energy and time to focus deeply on any information.

Media and Information Processing

Television and Internet advertisers take advantage of your peripheral-processing abilities to persuade you.

The advertisements on television and the Internet are flashy, brief, and often have an attractive messenger. Television advertisements are narrated in an appealing voice. If the peripheral information, or the messenger, is attractive, you are likely to make positive mental associations with the service or product being advertised and be persuaded. Time is limited in these formats; therefore, you are less likely to consider the quality or soundness of the message.

When are you likely to engage your central-processing abilities in examining a message?

We discussed that when time is limited, you are likely to process information or messages peripherally.

In contrast, when you have time to examine a message closely, you are more likely to engage your central-processing abilities. In this mode, you are more likely to question and critically evaluate the message for logic or relevance to yourself. As a result, an advertisement in the print media—rather than relying on superficial content—will often appeal to your central-processing ability and seek to persuade you with logic and expertise.

Consider how the target audience affects the advertiser's choice of appealing to either the peripheral—or the central-processing ability.

Think of an advertisement for toys. Are the target children likely to logically weigh the pros and cons of a toy purchase? This will probably not happen. Instead, the children will look at who is in the advertisement. For example, Ronald McDonald, Barney, or a star of the Harry Potter movies is a good choice of actor. The children will focus on factors such as how attractive the toy is and how bright and colorful it looks. On the other hand, if you advertise a product in TIME magazine, who are your readers likely to be? Most probably, they will be college-educated professionals. As a result, you will want to provide more text with information about the pros and cons of the product or service. This is because readers can spend as much time reviewing the advertisement as they need to, unlike the advertisements conveyed via television, radio, or the Internet.

Post-Decisional Dissonance

Have you ever purchased something and later regretted making the purchase? If so, you have experienced what social psychologists term post-decisional dissonance or post-purchase cognitive dissonance when the decision involves a purchase.

What did you do to alleviate the feeling that you made the wrong decision?

A response to this internal dilemma of realizing you might have made a bad decision is to convince yourself of the "positives" of making this decision as against the "negatives." Imagine that you impulsively purchased an expensive stereo whose price was soon reduced. You could not return it for a refund because the model was discontinued. In the days following your purchase, you feel uneasy about the purchase, especially because you need new tires for your car. You are likely to begin a mental list of the pros to outweigh the cons of the decision. You might begin to think about how having the stereo will allow you to listen to music and help you unwind after a stressful day. You might rationalize that after this purchase, you will not need to spend an even greater sum of money on a comparable stereo in the future because you now possess a high-quality one. You might justify your decision by saying you can devote future funds to other causes, such as a new laptop computer. You have persuaded yourself of your wisdom in making the purchase and have relieved your post-decisional dissonance simultaneously.

Though in the past, researchers focused on the characteristics of the messenger and the message, the following factors can influence persuasion:

· the expertise of the person delivering the message

· the quality of a written message

· the trustworthiness of the messenger

Researches now suggest that much of what influences persuasion or attitudinal change is rooted in the person receiving the message. Though how meaningful or relevant a message is to you is positively related to the ability of the message to persuade you, some personalities are more likely to deliberately think through the content of a message, regardless of its personal relevance