Life as we know it is filled with choices; Choices that make a positive impact and choices that leave us regretful. These underlying choices can be moral, upright and noble or they can be immoral, evil, and corrupt. However, understanding persuasion and the different forms of persuasion may assist in knowing how to choose and stand by a specific idea, attitude, and object. Persuasion, is a social influence message on how and what others around you are buying, consuming, and participating in (Jowett, G. S., & O’donnell, V. 2014). A strategic influential item is placed where one can see it to alter their views, and ultimately change, or influence their buying power. Persuasion is neither good nor bad, but society tends to associate the good persuasion as education and the bad persuasion as propaganda.
With so many factors to persuade someone, social psychologists have researched and developed two paths that lead to persuasion. The first is known as the central route to persuasion, this is when interested people focus on arguments and respond with favorable, provoking thoughts (Cacioppo, J. T., Petty, R. E., Kao, C. F., & Rodriguez, R. 1986). The second route is known as the peripheral route to persuasion. In this route, people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness, and gender. These two paths incorporate two different purposes. Obviously, having the ultimate goal to change one’s behavior and views. Research has shown that the central route usually explicitly changes attitudes, while the peripheral route process is a much more gradual change, so that the attitude toward the object and the emotion develop over time. This allows for the development of a particular idea, or item to blossom into a greater understanding of why “we” need such an item or idea to be withheld. All in all, the central route of persuasion is said to have a better impact on influence over time, because of the deep intellectual analysis that takes place to make the situation stronger and more durable (Petty, R., & Cacioppo, J. T. 2012).
Numerous elements and essentials come into the production of whether or not persuasion may occur. The fundamentals include, the communicator, the message, the channel of the message, and the audience of the message. First the communicator, it matters who is communicating the message. To make the communicator become more valid to consumers, he or she should have a perceived credibility, an expertise and trustworthiness of the topic. In return, when the consumer believes that a source is credible, positive thoughts and behaviors flow freely, which encourages the consumer to purchase or convert. When the choice revolves around one’s personal taste, values, and ways of life, similar people have the greatest influence. This is because we tend to associate and gravitate towards people like us, thus their views may alter our views. Whereas, a person who doesn’t share your values and views of life, will most likely lead you to look at things in a different perspective and shed light on individual judgment. The second element of persuasion is the message. But to understand the message one has to understand how the message is going to be communicated, or perceived and also the audience. When determining the message, one must also determine the audience and how that message should be perceived (Klapper, J. T. 1960). Whether the communicator would like to touch on the subject in an emotional and powerful way, or with reason and facts. Now both of these styles can be accomplished at the same time, but determining how many more people one would reach if you did it one way is the tricky part. This is why, determining the cause and the audience is extremely important. A well thought out and designed plan that incorporates the audience will appeal to the individuals that display the central route. As for the uninvolved audience, they tend to follow the peripheral route of persuasion in which they follow along with but, are not fully listening and comprehending the material the speaker is trying to convey.
On a positive note, good feelings enhance persuasion. Whether that be enjoying a delicious lunch and conducting a business meeting or listening to background music while shopping at your favorite store, these strategic techniques are there to enhance your buying behavior (Mackie, D. M., & Worth, L. T. 1991). In addition to good feelings, vivid images and stories, can create a positive or negative feeling of persuasion as well. In a vivid story, the audience may picture themselves in the speaker’s position or come to the conclusion of what he or she would do. Another example would be the speaker commentating on the topic of abuse, with the use of a vivid story the speaker might be able to reach more of the audience because the audience views the story as something either preventable or as something that has happened to them. In this way the speakers incites an emotional tie as well, for others that have lived through abuse. The speaker tries to enable the audience to stand up for what is right and also stand up for the stories that haven’t been heard yet. Unfortunately, the negative arousal of fear can also enhance persuasion. For example, a commercial on drunk driving that shows the graphic and gory pictures of the accident and its victims. This example may possibly put the viewer in an uncomfortable position but he or she may rethink getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. This technique works best, the greater the negative emotions, so when people are fearful and vulnerable they are more likely to be persuaded (Rogers, R. W. 1975). However, there are multiple conflicts that surround the route of persuasion and its elements. These conflicts are present when faced with how to approach someone and persuade them. Do you offer the utmost difficult or highest offering first, hoping for a compromise, or do you start low hoping for the person to agree? While these scenarios might occur, a complete write-off might occur as well, in which the communicator or salesperson receives absolutely nothing.
While, the message and its effectiveness is contingent on the listener. The primacy effect states that information presented early on is the most persuasive. This is because, people tend to stand and go along with what the first candidate or speaker says about an issue. The initial impression certainly does make an impact on which option the audience chooses. Fundamentally, this affect works best when the primary message is presented then the subsequent message is delivered, then including time for the audience, consumers, or voters to think. Majority of the audience will choose message one. However, in the recency effect information that is presented last has the most influence. The recency effect also works because people tend to remember what they last heard, or saw, influencing their final decision about a topic. Yet, the recency effect is less common then the primacy effect. This affect is best when message one is conveyed, then there is a time gap, and then message two is stated, concluding that the majority will choose message two. Because, of the time delay, which causes the audience to go with what they most recently recall and recognize.
For persuasion to occur, communication must occur as well whether that be something the consumer vaguely notices or an interaction between both. The channel of communication is the way the message is delivered. Examples of the channel are text-messages, e-mail, face-to-face, social media, TV advertisements, magazines, and the newspaper. Understanding the channel used for communication first, then understanding whether the channel is going to entail an active experience or passive reception is next. In an active experience, the channel and the listener (audience, consumer, etc.) actively participate in the strategic act of persuasion. This may evoke a face to face conversation about a specific product or an opinion on what would the customer like to see changed. In a passive reception, one doesn’t partake in active communication, thoughts passively pass through their minds without much thought. Although research has proclaimed that persuasion decreases as the significance and familiarity of the issue increases.
One might think that the media is our biggest influencer but to much discuss that opinion is highly untrue. Our biggest influencer is actually who we as humans associate with. These associations include our family, closest friends, teachers, and even colleagues. In todays society word of mouth is a huge influence on selling performance of sales people. Usually the biggest impact on persuasion is face-to-face contact. Although, not discounting the medias influence, it too has a major influence on what an individual does, reads, and stands by, on a daily basis. It has been researched that the media often uses a two-step flow of communication. In this two-step model, the influence occurs from the media first and foremost then onto opinion leaders who in turn influence us, the audience. These so-called opinion leaders are specialized experts such as doctors, teachers, and people of high influence, so that their opinion and views may lead to the swaying and changes of your opinions and views. Studies have shown that a more lifelike mode will enable persuasion. Thus indicating that written work will come last because of no connection or life like model that readers and the audience can actively connect with. However, messages are best recalled and comprehended when written and read. This conflict of complexity adds to the challenge of the message and the challenge of determining an audience. When easy messages are videotaped it is easier for the audience to comprehend. Unlike when a message is difficult, a written medium is more likely to persuade because the reader can go about the message at his or her own speed. Carefully, and thoughtfully reviewing the information to understand its full message.
The audience plays a major role in the act of persuasion. Unfortunately, to reach the whole audience is a task that doesn’t come easy. This is because to measure on how to reach the majority of the audience one has to take into account the age ranges, and gender. The audience may range in age, and determining a way to reach the audience in full is a hard task to do. This is why, the speaker may determine who he or she is speaking to, and the ultimate goal of his or her speech. The speaker also may need to factor in the majority gender of the audience and the age of the audience. But one can’t forget that the attitude and behavior vary greatly with age. Studying personality and social development in young adulthood (age 20-40), led me to the trait model. The trait model is a five factor model that usually predicts a pretty stable personality across time. However, the problem is that other research indicates that we do change or have a slight change in our personality’s around our 20’s (Roberts, B. W., Wood, D., & Smith, J. L. 2005). A predictable personality for young adulthood is Erik Erikson psychosocial crisis of young adulthood. This crisis is a battle of intimacy and isolation, but once solved the virtue that develops is love. Knowing this, personalities that develop in childhood are likely to stay with us, then go through a change in young adulthood, then once again stable out in middle adulthood. Then again, a particular attitude change may happen in late adulthood because of not having a strong enough say.
Responses that are developed in one’s mind, tend to evoke whether or not one gets persuaded. Positive, encouraging, and favorable ideology lead to persuasion, whereas, a conflicting argument doesn’t lead to persuasion. This is because something that contradicts with one’s thoughts, takes more thought to change and ultimately doesn’t lead to the swaying of opinions. Distractions defuse counterarguments by changing the subject or having objects in place to distract the audience from what is actually being offered or accomplished. Simple yet, effective methods have demonstrated what a salesperson should incorporate in order to waver an opinion and increase the customers purchase. These simple tasks include the addition of open-ended questions when conversing and being positive nonetheless inquisitive about other options (Tartakovsky, M. 2015). When asking these questions, the stimulation of the mind in the audience or customer grows, and they feel intrigued to know more whether or not they will alter their own views.
Persuasion is not always a hard thing to resist. For example, walking past kiosks in the mall, and the sales person is trying to get you to try their new skin care line. Most of the time, an individual will walk right passed the kiosk not even acknowledging what the sales person is saying to them. On the other side, some items are hard to resist. Like buying a diamond ring on sale with 0% down for six years which includes, free cleaning, and small diamond replacements for free! One of the key’s to resisting persuasion is growing and strengthening personal commitment. When we stand up for what we believe in, we don’t stray far from our initial viewpoints, even when faced with opposing views. Even though, when committed people are attacked strongly enough causing the individual to react they stand their ground and become even more committed then before (Kiesler, C. A. 1971).
When developing a counterargument, attitude inoculation may help the salesperson or speaker reach his or her goal. Attitude inoculation is when someone or something exposes an audience or consumer to small, weak attacks upon their attitudes, so that when a big attack happens the individual will have refutations to resist and challenge the attacker. Unfortunately, inoculation of advertising in the United States is mainly directed at children and teens. Big name companies and brands do this to excite the younger crowd to try new things and to become popular. Younger people are more gullible, and overall more vulnerable in which they don’t necessarily understand what the big corporations are doing. These big corporations are indeed scamming the young adults and making money off of our naïve nature.
After all, persuasion is perceived as a neutral entity. Whether it be good or bad, it can invoke us to stand for what we believe in or to convert our ideology and take on a new perspective. We as consumers, and as an everyday audience to our ever-changing electronically enriched world should be open to new novelties but not be naïve to our own standards, beliefs, and ways. Like technology, humans will continue evolving and sharing our knowledge and insight with others, in hopes that it helps one grow to learn and love the beliefs, ideas, and ways we already cherish.