Persuasion: Who, What, To Whom

In your textbook, Feenstra (2013) states, “In evaluating persuason we need to take into account where the message comes from, what the message contains, and the intended audience.” (p. 167).

For your assignment this week, construct a paper that provides an in-depth analysis of the three parts of persuasion. Address the following points in your paper:  1.   Who – Describe the Characteristics of the Persuader: What influences our ability to become persuaded by someone? What specific characteristics must this person possess? Be sure to address the impact of credibility, physical attractiveness, and likeability in your response. Why do we respond well to those who possess such characteristics? Would we respond the same to an unattractive, angry, or non-credible person? Why not?

2.   What – Discuss the Characteristics of the Message: What attributes are inherent in persuasive messages? How are we influenced by the emotion, framing, narratives, and rational appeals in the messaging we receive? What is the significance of the sleeper effect?

3.   To Whom – Examine the Characteristics of the Audience: Why do different audiences perceive messages in different ways? What is the role of culture, gender, and self-esteem in this process? How does the elaboration likelihood model help to explain the relationship between the persuader, the message, and the audience?

4.   Review the excerpt from p. 156 of your textbook, Social Psychology in Depth: Word of Mouth and Persuasion. How does the e-word of mouth phenomena illustrate the concepts above? Please be specific in your response.

Include an introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion. Your completed assignment must be three to four pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), and must follow APA guidelines include a minimum of three APA references.

 Table 7.1 Persuasion techniques: Definitions and examples Technique Definition Example Foot-in-the-door An initial small request is made and accepted. A large request, the target request, is then made. You are asked to sign a petition to support blood donation. After you sign, you are asked to donate blood. Lowball An initial request, the target request, is made, but only later are the full costs are revealed. You are asked to volunteer 20 minutes of your time. Only later is it revealed that the time will involve blood donation, with accompanying needles and slight pain. Legitimization-of-paltry-favors Small favors are described as acceptable, although not desired. A small donation to support blood drives, just 25 cents, is acceptable, although a larger donation would be appreciated. Reciprocity A request is made after a gift has been given. After receiving a cookie you are asked if you would be willing to donate blood. Door-in-the-face A large request is made and refused. Then the target request is made. You are asked if you could volunteer 2 hours a week for the next year. When you refuse, you are asked if you could spend just a half hour now donating blood. That’s-not-all A large request is made, but before the individual can refuse additional incentives are added. You are asked to donate blood, but before you say no you are told you will get a cookie and a sticker and your name will be published in the paper. Scarcity Products or opportunities are presented as being limited in number or as only available for a limited time. The blood bank tells you the special post-donation cookies are only available today for the first 20 people who give blood. Pique Attention is disrupted by an oddly framed request. You are asked if you want to save the lives of three children today. Disrupt-then-reframe An unusual request is made and then framed in a positive way. When asked to give blood you are told it will only take 3,600 seconds, a very short time to give.