Ch 6: Attitudes Part 2: Oct. 6, 2010

Persuasion Attempt to change an attitude 2 routes: Central route - Focus on argument. How does it work? Peripheral route - Focus on emotion or other cues besides argument What determines which route we use?

1) Source of the persuasion – Importance of credibility: competent, trustworthy? Exceptions based on self-interest? Importance of likeability: similar (to you) & physical attractiveness Effect of personal involvement – What is the ‘sleeper effect’?

2) The Message – Primary vs. recency effect – which has more evidence? May depend on timing of decision Fear-based messages – do they work? Need to induce certain conditions – Positive emotions – more likely to use peripheral Why?

Do subliminal messages work? Words/pictures not consciously perceived but supposedly influence attitudes or behaviors Distinction between subliminal perception & subliminal persuasion Examples? Bush/Gore 2000 Campaigns Subliminal audio self-help tapes to lose weight, etc. Greenwald’s experiments – Subjects listened to tapes with subliminal memory or self-esteem messages Groups either told of actual message or told of opposite message (memory or self-esteem). Results?

Contrast Greenwald’s experiment w/Murphy’s subliminal experiment using Chinese characters: Murphy’s results: Differences from Greenwald’s experiment: