Persuasion & Attitude Change

Persuasion

An active attempt to change attitudes by targeting cognition, affect, and behavioral intent, with the ultimate goal of changing actual behavior.

Yale Approach (Processes)

The three internal steps required for persuasion to be successful: Attention (audience listens), Comprehension (audience understands), and Acceptance (audience accepts based on rewards).

Yale Approach (Factors)

Three external elements influencing the impact of communication: Source (who says it), Message (what is said), and Audience (to whom it is said).

Source Credibility

Persuasive impact based on the speaker's expertise (usually domain-specific) and their perceived trustworthiness and objectivity.

Halo Effect

A cognitive bias where people who rank highly on one dimension (like physical attractiveness) are perceived as ranking highly on other, unrelated dimensions like intelligence or talent.

Two-Sided Argument

A message that presents both pros and cons; best for educating about new products, enhancing credibility, or refuting opposition arguments.

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

A theory stating there are two routes to persuasion: the Central Route (focus on argument quality) and the Peripheral Route (focus on surface cues).

Central Route to Persuasion

Occurs when the audience has the ability and motivation to pay attention; it results in stable attitudes that are resistant to change and predict behavior well.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Occurs when the audience is distracted or lacks involvement; they are swayed by surface cues like a speaker’s prestige or attractiveness rather than the message.

Personal Relevance

The extent to which a topic has important consequences for a person's well-being; high relevance triggers the central route.

Need for Cognition

A personality variable reflecting the extent to which people enjoy and engage in effortful cognitive activities; those high in this need prefer the central route.

Reciprocity

The persuasion tactic based on the obligation to repay what another has provided, including responding to a concession with a concession.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

A consistency-based tactic where getting a person to agree to a small favor first makes them more likely to agree to a larger commitment later to maintain their self-image.

Social Proof (Consensus)

Determining what is correct by finding out what others think is correct; most powerful when observing people similar to ourselves.

Authority (Tactics)

Persuasion based on a sense of duty to authority figures, often triggered by titles, uniforms/clothes, or trappings of status.

Scarcity

The principle that opportunities seem more valuable when availability is limited or when there is competition for them.

Attitude Inoculation

Making people immune to attitude change by exposing them to small, weak doses of counter-arguments, allowing them to practice refuting them.

Reactance Theory

The "boomerang effect" where strong prohibitions (e.g., "Don't smoke!") threaten a person's sense of freedom, making them more likely to perform the undesired behavior to restore that freedom.

Fear Appeals

Persuasion using fear; it is most effective when it uses moderate fear combined with specific instructions on how to change the behavior.