Persuasion Final Exam

Psychological Reactance

When people feel their freedom to choose is threatened or eliminated, creating resistance to persuasion attempts

How to Avoid Psychological Reactance

Avoid controlling language; provide choices; use suggestions instead of commands

"But You Are Free" Strategy

Adding phrases like "but you are free to decide" to requests, acknowledging autonomy and reducing resistance

Facework

Communication strategies used to save face, protect self-image, or maintain dignity in social interactions

Indifferent Request

Making a request while appearing not to care about the outcome, reducing pressure on the target

Perceptual Contrast

How perceptions are influenced by prior experiences or exposures; things appear different when compared to something else

Door-in-Face Technique

Making a large request that will likely be rejected before making the smaller request you actually want accepted

Foot-in-Door Technique

Starting with a small request that will likely be accepted before making a larger, target request

Reciprocity

The obligation to return favors, gifts, or concessions; doing something for someone increases likelihood they'll comply with your requests

Indexicality

Images serving as evidence or proof of something; visual documentation (Messaris)

Shock Advertising

Using provocative or disturbing imagery to break through "advertising noise" and capture attention

Optics

How a situation is perceived by the general public; how something "looks" to others

When Confrontation Should Be Used

Only as a last resort; when nothing is left to lose; in democratic settings; for critical issues

Ethics of Persuasion Strategies

Persuasive tools are amoral (neither moral nor immoral in themselves); ethics depends on how they're used

Most Ethical Arguments are…

Rational arguments that provide facts, reasons, and balanced information

Universal Law of Persuasion Ethics

Be honest; deliberate distortion is almost never permissible

EPPM stand for

Extended Parallel Process Model

EPPM Does what

explains how fear appeals work through threat and efficacy components

Fear Appeals

Persuasive messages that arouse fear to motivate behavior change by highlighting threats and solutions

Response Efficacy

Belief that a recommended solution will effectively solve or address the problem

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one's ability to successfully perform the recommended action or behavior

Syntactic Indeterminacy

Images lack logical operators but can imply relationships through association and make arguments (Messaris)

Enthymeme

An argument where a premise is implied rather than stated; in visual context, pictures making arguments by implying unstated premises

Picture Superiority Effect

Images are more readily recognized and remembered than words

Image Restoration Theory

Theory explaining strategies used to repair damaged reputation after a crisis or negative event

Defeasibility

Image restoration strategy claiming lack of information about or control over the situation that led to the problem

who Believed rhetoric based on situational factors was false and unethical; advocated for objective Truth

Plato's View on Rhetoric

CMP stand for

Crisis Management Plan

A CMP conssists of

documented procedures for responding to organizational crises

Othello Error

When nervousness about being accused of lying is misinterpreted as evidence of actual deception

Nudge Theory

Using subtle environmental changes to influence behavior without restricting freedom of choice

Identification

Burke's concept of perceived similarity or connection between speaker and audience; essential for persuasion

Kenneth Burke on Persuasion

Claimed identification is essential for persuasion; "you persuade only insofar as you talk his language"

Dan's Four Ethics Tests

Thanksgiving Test, Mirror Test, Child Test, and Publicity Test

Inoculation Theory

Exposing people to weakened opposing arguments and refuting them builds resistance to later persuasive attacks

Relationship Between Attitudes and Behavior

Directly correlated but mediated by factors like behavioral intention and perceived control

Social Judgment Theory

People compare new messages to existing opinions, accepting or rejecting based on their anchor position

Anchor

In Social Judgment Theory, one's existing opinion or position on an issue

Ego Involvement

How personally important or central an issue is to someone's identity; affects latitude of acceptance

Primary Dimensions of Credibility

Expertise, trustworthiness, and goodwill

Secondary Dimensions of Credibility

Dynamism, composure, sociability, and extroversion

G&S Tool Metaphor

Persuasion tools are like physical tools - amoral in themselves, ethics depends on their use

Omni-Channel Approach

Using all available communication channels together in an integrated way

When Omni-Channel Approach Is Best Used

During a crisis; ensures message reaches all stakeholders through multiple touchpoints

Linguistic Framing

Using specific language choices to shape perception of an issue or event

"It's not a crisis, it's an organizational challenge"

Example of linguistic framing to minimize perception of severity

"Death tax" vs. "Estate tax"

Example of linguistic framing affecting perception through word choice

"Unleashed" Campaign

Example of linguistic framing using evocative terminology

Lesley Stahl's Parable

People believe what they see, not what they hear; visual impressions override verbal content

Gain Framing

Presenting information in terms of benefits or positive outcomes ("Study to get good grades")

Loss Framing

Presenting information in terms of costs or negative outcomes ("Study or you'll get bad grades")

Direct Effects Model of Immediacy

Anything perceived as connection relates directly to persuasion effectiveness

Stakeholder Theory

Framework for managing relationships with groups who have interest in an organization's activities

Stakeholders

Groups affected by an organization's actions (customers, community members, investors, employees)

Audience Factors

Characteristics affecting persuasibility: age, sex, gender, region, ego involvement, self-monitoring

Persuasion as a Pro-social Force

persuasion can unite, inform, and advance social good

"Ask for a penny" is a example of

Legitimizing paltry contributions; making small contributions seem acceptable

Image Superiority

Visual content is processed faster and remembered better than verbal information

Malcolm X

Used confrontational rhetoric; "Ballot or the Bullet" speech exemplified moral confrontation

Chappaquiddick

Kennedy scandal showing failed image restoration; delayed response damaged credibility

Credibility is a

Receiver-based perception of a source; situational, dynamic, and multidimensional

Ethos

Aristotelian mode of proof based on speaker's credibility and character

Pathos

Aristotelian mode of proof based on emotional appeals

Logos

Aristotelian mode of proof based on logical reasoning and evidence

ELM (Elaboration Likelihood Model)

Dual-process theory of persuasion with central (high elaboration) and peripheral (low elaboration) routes

HSM (Heuristic-Systematic Model)

Dual-process theory where information is processed either systematically (in-depth) or heuristically (using mental shortcuts)

Unimodel of Persuasion

Single-process theory suggesting all persuasive information is processed along a continuum of cognitive effort

Rhetorical Situation

The context in which persuasion occurs, consisting of exigence, audience, and constraints

Exigence

An imperfection marked by urgency; a problem that can be resolved through persuasion

Audience

The people capable of being influenced by discourse and bringing about change

Constraints

Factors that limit what can be said or done to modify the exigence

Attitude

Relatively enduring evaluation of a person, object, or issue; predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably

Halo Effect

Tendency to let one positive trait influence overall evaluation of a person or object

Reasoned Action Approach

Framework combining TRA and TPB; behavior is determined by intentions, which are influenced by attitudes, norms, and control

Theory of Reasoned Action

Behavior is determined by intentions, which are influenced by attitudes and subjective norms

Theory of Planned Behavior

Extension of TRA adding perceived behavioral control as factor influencing intentions and behavior

Persuasion Functions of Narrative

Creating identification, reducing counterarguing, modeling behavior, making information memorable

Rational Argument

Persuasion using facts, evidence, and logical reasoning; most ethical form of persuasion

When Rational Argument Works

When audience is motivated, capable of processing, issue is important, and conditions favor cognitive processing

When Rational Argument Doesn't Work

When audience lacks motivation or ability to process, emotional needs predominate, or peripheral cues are more salient

Syllogism

Formal logical structure with major premise, minor premise, and conclusion

Enthymeme

Truncated syllogism where one premise is implied rather than stated

Emotional Appeals

Persuasive strategies targeting feelings: warmth, self-interest, guilt, needs, values, humor, sex, ingratiation

Warmth Appeal

Emotional appeal creating feelings of comfort, love, and connection

Self-Interest Appeal

Emotional appeal highlighting personal benefits or advantages

Guilt Appeal

Emotional appeal inducing feelings of responsibility or remorse to motivate action

Needs Appeal

Emotional appeal targeting fundamental human needs (safety, belonging, esteem)

Values Appeal

Emotional appeal connecting to deeply held principles or beliefs

Humor Appeal

Emotional appeal using comedy to create positive associations

Sex Appeal

Emotional appeal using sexual attraction or imagery to gain attention

Ingratiation

Emotional appeal using flattery or praise to gain favor

Indoctrination

Systematic instruction in particular beliefs; one-sided persuasion with restricted alternatives

Social Proof

People tend to follow what others do, especially in ambiguous situations

Sequential Strategies

Persuasion techniques using series of requests: FITD, DITF, etc.

Four-Factor Model is a

Framework for deception detection

Four factior model what are the four factors

motivation, attempted control, arousal, and cognitive aspects

Probing Effect

When direct questioning about deception increases nervous behaviors that mimic deception cues

Othello Error

Mistaking anxiety about being accused of lying for actual deception

Cognitive Load

Mental effort required to process information; can reveal deception when tasks increase this burden