Aspects of Persuasion §Persuasion involves the strategic construction of symbols designed to influence others. This means: 1. Persuasion is a communication process, persuaders are involved in an activity. 2. Persuasion involves symbolism. 3. Persuasion is deliberate. 4. Persuasion influences.

The deliberate communicative process of persuasive influence depends upon certain terms such as Beliefs Values Attitudes Behaviors

Beliefs §Are cognitive constructs that we consider to be true or valid. §Beliefs can be organized along a continuum from central to peripheral. (refer to ohp)

Beliefs- cont’ 5 categories of beliefs 1. Primitive beliefs, 100% consensus 2. Primitive beliefs, zero consensus 3. Authority beliefs 4. Derived beliefs 5. Inconsequential beliefs

Values The relative worth of an object, a quality that makes something desirable or undesirable, an ideal or custom about which we have emotional responses. Values are mode of conduct of a continuum of a relative importance. It is either instrumental or terminal values

Values- cont’ Terminal values- ultimate goals like inner happiness, pleasure or comfortable life. Instrumental values - modes of conduct such as honesty, politeness or responsibility. Values are also linked to beliefs.

Attitudes Definitions: Attitudes are associations between attitude objects and evaluations of those objects. A learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object.

Attitudes 1.Attitudes may influence behavior: People will behave in ways consistent with their attitudes. But of course, our behaviors do not always conform to attitude. 2. Attitudes influence social cognition: They can function as schemas for organizing and interpreting information about social entities.

Attitude formation 1.Social Learning: - classical conditioning - instrumental conditioning - observational learning 2. Social Comparison 3. Genetic Factors

Behavior Persuasion attempts to evoke a specific change in the attitude or behavior of an audience. Three (3) different forms of responses are

1. Response Shaping A persuader may attempt to shape the responds of an audience by teaching it how to behavior and offer positive reinforcement for

2. Response Reinforcing If the people in the audience have positive attitude towards a subject, the Persuader reminds them about the positive attitudes and stimulates them to feel even more strongly by demonstrating their attitude through specific forms of behavior.

3. Response Changing Asking people to change from one attitude to another. Maybe from a neutral attitude to positive/negative attitude. People are reluctant to change, thus to convince them to do so, the persuader has to relate the change to something in which the persuadee already believes. This is called an anchor.

Model of Persuasion NOISE MESSAGES CHANNELS FEEDBACK SOURCE(S) Beliefs Values Attitudes RECEIVER(S) Beliefs Values Attitudes

Tutorial 2 There are various theories associated with the study of persuasion. Some of them are: §Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) §Social Learning Theory §Cognitive Dissonance Theory §McGuire’s persuasion process. Find out how these theories can explain the basics of persuasion. Give appropriate examples.