Chap. 8 - Persuasion

How is persuasion connected to attitude?

Our attitudes can be changed through persuasion* by influencing our feelings or beliefs

What are the 3 factors that affect how persuasive a message is?

1. Source — credibility and expertise of the messenger (attractiveness and certainty can play a big role too!)

2. Message — clarity and appeal (logical or emotional)

3. Audience — the traits and attitudes of the receivers

What message characteristics make a message more persuasive? (hint - 5 things)

• High quality: clear, strong arguments

• Explicit conclusions: directly state the main point

• Vividness: use of engaging, memorable details

• Fear appeals: effective if paired with instructions

• Cultural alignment: matches the audience’s cultural values

What audience characteristics affect how persuasive a message is?

• Need for cognition: people who enjoy thinking deeply are more persuaded by strong arguments

• Matching the message to the audience’s mood

• Children: more vulnerable and open to persuasion

What is the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)?

A persuasion theory with two routes:

• Central route: deep, thoughtful message processing → lasting attitude change

• Peripheral route: uses superficial cues and easy to process → temporary attitude change

*How does persuasion mainly differ between the central and peripheral routes?

• The central route depends on the quality of arguments, whereas the peripheral route depends on superficial cues(like attractiveness or credibility of source)

What is the Self-Validation Hypothesis, and how does confidence affect persuasion?

The Self-Validation Hypothesis says confidence in one’s thoughts affects persuasion:

• High confidence strengthens attitudes, making them more resistant if thoughts oppose the message or more persuaded if thoughts support it.

• Low confidence weakens the influence of those thoughts.

What is Agenda Control in media persuasion?

Media shapes public opinion by choosing which topics to focus on, influencing what people think about* (through selective reprting, gatekeeping)

What is the Hostile Media Phenomenon?

People with strong opinions often see neutral media coverage as biased against their views, perceiving it as hostile.

What 4 factors contribute to resistance to persuasion?

• Attentional biases

• Previous commitments - strong prior beliefs resist change (Polarization hypothesis)

• Knowledge: more knowledge often means more resistance to persuasion

• Attitude inoculation

How do attentional biases lead to resistance in persuasion?

People focus more on information that supports their existing attitudes, ignoring opposing views, which strengthens resistance.

What is attitude inoculation and how does it help resist persuasion?

involves exposure to weak counterarguments, which builds defenses and makes attitudes more resistant to later, stronger persuasion attempts*