1. N ATURE OF P ERSUASION  We are surrounded by persuasion  Obvious or intentional persuasion  Nonobvious or accidental influence  Persuasion is an “art” and a science  People can be stubborn, unpredictable  Even the most well-funded, well-designed persuasive campaigns may fail 1

2. P ERVASIVENESS OF P ERSUASION  Advertising spending is expected to increase in 2010 to $162 billion per year. (Magna, 2009)  The average person is exposed to 300- 400 persuasive messages per day from the media alone (Rosseli, Skelly, & Mackie, 1995)  The average person is exposed to 300- 1500 advertising messages per day (Jones, 2004)  The average person watches 1,000 commercials per week (Berger, 2004)  An average of $800 per person is spent on advertising in the U.S. each year (Berger, 2004) 2 Image courtesy of www.freefoto.com

3. V ARIETIES OF PERSUASION 3  Anti-war persuasion: Getting naked for peace  Billboards  Celebrity endorsers  Infomercials  Logos, insignia  TV commercials  Merchandising  Print ads  Product placement  Spam, pop-up ads  Sponsorship  Telemarketing  Social media

4. T HE P OSITIVE S IDE OF P ERSUASION  Persuasion is not a dirty word  Persuasion is a powerful, positive social force  Persuasion is necessary, essential to human interaction  Persuasion is our friend  Essential to public health awareness campaigns  Crucial for charities, philanthropic organizations  Useful for motivating and inspiring people 4

5. P ERVASIVENESS OF P ERSUASION  Buzz marketing illustrates the pervasiveness of persuasion  In addition to traditional media, persuasion relies on:  Viral marketing  Word of mouth marketing (WOM)  Social media marketing 5

6. P ERVASIVENESS OF P ERSUASION  Persuasion in the Sciences  Scientists are actively involved in persuasion Over theories and paradigms Over methodologies and research findings Over grants and funding  Persuasion in the Arts  Artists seek to shape public opinion in and through their work Picasso’s Guernica (1937) offers a moral indictment of war Movies can change attitudes, alter beliefs, increase awareness 6

7. P ERVASIVENESS OF P ERSUASION  Nonobvious Contexts for Persuasion  Bumper stickers  12 step programs  Intercessory prayer (3 rd party)  Plays and musicals  Panhandling 7 This homeless person is using humor/satire as a panhandling strategy (photo by John Seiter)

8. P ERVASIVENESS OF P ERSUASION  Weird Persuasion  Dish Texas and buzz marketing  William Shatner’s kidney on eBay  Acne lights to deter teen loitering  Barry Manilow music to deter loitering 8

9. P ERVASIVENESS OF P ERSUASION  Persuasion in interpersonal contexts  Most influence attempts occur in the interpersonal arena  Persuasion is most effective in face-to-face contexts Less obvious or overt Harder to say “No” in person Easier to analyze, adapt to one’s audience 9

10. T HE I NSTRUMENTAL F UNCTION OF P ERSUASION  Improving one’s own persuasive abilities  The ability to persuade is a form of communication competence  Communication competence requires effectiveness and appropriateness  Like any skill-set, persuasive skills can be improved through training and practice 10

11. T HE K NOWLEDGE F UNCTION  Gaining a better understanding of how persuasion works  Overcoming habitual persuasion: Individuals are often unaware of their own habitual, reflexive patterns of persuasion. 11

12. T HE D EFENSIVE F UNCTION  Becoming a more savvy, discerning consumer of persuasive messages  Being less likely to succumb to high pressure sales tactics  Exposing unethical strategies and tactics 12

13. T HE D EBUNKING F UNCTION  Dispelling folk-wisdom, false stereotypes, and “common-sense” misconceptions about persuasion  gaze avoidance is not a reliable sign of deception  Subliminal influence is not effective  Learning about non-obvious, counter- intuitive research findings  The “logic” versus “emotion” distinction represents a false dichotomy 13

14. E THICAL C ONCERNS  The study of persuasion is fraught with ethical concerns.  Little of the good in the world could be accomplished without persuasion.  Not studying persuasion, won’t make persuasion go away.  People who claim that persuasion is manipulative are themselves taking a persuasive stance. 14