Routes to Persuasion

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pain and crevecoeur

Persuasion is the force exerted to influence behavior that includes a reflected change in attitude. Everyday we are bombarded with messagesfrom people who wish to influence our behavior and attitudes. Persuasion canbe used to accomplish good as well as bad, though, in my paper I willrefrain from making value judgements and only report the factual aspects. I will discuss the two basic routes to persuasion, the elements involved, andways to protect current attitudes and behaviors from change. When trying to persuade someone, there are two different methods from which to choose-the central and peripheral routes. The central route persuades by usingdirect arguments and pertinent information. The peripheral route persuadespeople by association with incidental cues

that are pleasing to the senses. The central route is used to reach people who are more motivated and analytical, while people who are less analytical and less involved aremore likely to be influenced by the peripheral route. In advertising a combination of the two is common and effective. Computer ads relyprimarily on the central route, because their target audiences are perceived as highly analytical. Promotion for alcohol and tobacco products employ the peripheral route because they wish to draw attention away from thepossible negative effects that they are, in reality, associated with. To truly understand the effects of persuasion it is necessary to break the actdown to its smaller components. The for elements of persuasion are 1.) The communicator, 2.) The message content, 3.) How it is communicated, and4.) The receiver of the message. The content of the message is important but also whoever gives the message has an effect on people¹s acceptance ofit. The major determinant of the communicator¹s success are his/herperceived credibility and attractiveness. Credibility, or believability

isdetermined by the communicator¹s appearance as an expert or as someone who can be trusted. Expertise is established when the communicator is introduced as someone who has a great deal of knowledge concerning the topic of conversation. When the communicator relays viewpoints that areidentical to the audience she/he will be perceived as smart.

Also, to project animage of expertise it is necessary to speak confidently and

withouthesitating. Trustworthiness of the communicator is assumed if d...

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...were made (the mildly anti-American statements) which opened the way for larger, more substantial suggestions. Attitude inoculation is believedto be the best way for people to avoid persuasion. It is defined as³Exposing people to weak attacks upon their attitudes so that when strongerattacks come they will have refutations available.²(5) Attitude inoculation was found to increase commitment to an attitude in addition to developing counterarguemnts. One application of the positive effects of attitude inoculation was conducted by Alfred McAlister on a class of seventhgraders that had them commit to anti-smoking attitudes.

Role-Playing was used to strengthen commitment to non-smoking by public declaration and therepeated dialogue stimulated counterarguements. To truly understand the effectsof

persuasion on people you need to be familiar with the structure behind a persuasive message. It is important to identify which route is beingused (central or peripheral) and understand the effect of the communicator,the content of the message, the method of communication, and the reaction by the audience. Counterarguements in making a public commitment strengthen out resistance to persuasion.

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