PERSUASION SOCIAL INFLUENCE & COMPLIANCE GAINING Robert H. Gass & John S. Seiter

Chapter 7 Language

Language is symbolic Language involves symbol usage The word (symbol) is not the thing (referent) Connotative meaning; subjective feelings, emotions attached to a word Denotative meaning; explicit dictionary definition, common usage “My ex-boyfriend is a real weasel” Ronald Sumners/Shutterstock.com; ID: 759336964

ULTIMATE TERMS Richard Weaver’s 3 types of terms God terms democracy, freedom, family values Devil terms deadbeat dad, thug, racist, pervert Charismatic terms empowerment, work smarter, not harder, transformative

APHORISMS Aphorisms include sayings, idioms, maxims, folk wisdom “You’re barking up the wrong tree.” “Dance like no one is watching.” “The toothpaste is out of the tube.” “A leopard can’t change its spots.” Aphorisms are pithy, easily understood Aphorisms are more effective with distracted listeners (peripheral cue) Zastolskiy Victor/shutterstock.com

METAPHORS Metaphors; equate one thing with another “The president is the captain of the ship of state.” “Life is a rat race.” “An education is a journey, not a destination.” “The stock market is a roller coaster.” Metaphors help listeners visualize comparisons mayk.75/Shutterstock.com

The power of labeling Naming confers power Woman, gal, chick, girl, honey African-American, Black, Negro, person of color, n- word. Sapir-Whorf hypothesis Language shapes, influences thought Shutterstock photos, ID: 227682184, ID: 227682193

EUPHEMISMS & DOUBLE-SPEAK Euphemisms; “sugar coating” language “used” car vs. “pre-owned” “cozy” vs. “cramped” “freedom fighter” vs. “terrorist” “between jobs” vs. “unemployed” Euphemisms serve as a face-saving measure Euphemisms may also be used as evasive language

profanity Profanity can decrease attraction, credibility, and persuasiveness Profanity is becoming increasingly common, acceptable Profanity can violate expectations negatively or positively Atomazul/shutterstock.com

Political correctness Political correctness; avoiding language that is perceived as offensive by others Audience expectations (PC vs. non PC) matter. For persons with disabilities: Using PC language increased perceptions of competence and trustworthiness Non PC language increased donations to a cause vchal/shutterstock.com

Vividness and language intensity Forceful, assertive, extreme language can facilitate persuasion Reinforcement theory: Language intensity is persuasive if the listener agrees with the source Language expectancy theory: positive or negative violations of language expectations can help or hinder persuasion Information processing theory: intense language increases perceived disparity in positions

Powerful and powerless language A powerful, assertive style of communication is more persuasive hesitations: “well,” “um,” “uh” hedges: “kind of,” “sort of,” “I guess” intensifiers: “really,” “very” polite forms: “If you wouldn’t mind…” “Could I please get you to…” tag questions: “...don’t you think?” “…isn’t it?” disclaimers: “This may sound dumb, but…” “You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but…”