COMM 4060-Persuasion
Eaves
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=Keefe-Chapter 1 and 2-
Main Issues/Principles:
Chapter One-Persuasion,Attitudes and Actions
A. Mixed results and studies about how to define persuasion
B. Common features of Paradigm CAses of Persuasion
1. a successful attempt to influence
2. the presense of some criterion or goal
3. existence of some intent to reach that goal
4. some measure of freedom--still in the determinist camp
5. effects are achieved through communication
6. involve change in the mental state of the persuadee
C. Definition of persuasion (pg.5)
"a successful intentional effort at influencing another's mental
state through communication in a circumstance in which the persuadee
has some measure of freedom."
D. Measurement Techniques
1. Direct Techniques:
a. semantic differential
b. advantages: simple and straightforward, easy to administer
c. disadvantages: they only yield an estimate of the respondent's attitude
2. Quasi-Direct Techniques
a. Thurstone Attitude Scales
b. Likert Attitude Scales (popular)
c. advantages-Quasi-Direct-->lots of information and variation
D. DISADVANTAGES-Quasi-Direct-->expensive;not cost-beneficial
3.Indirect Techniques
a. Physiological Indices
b. Information tests
c. Lost-Letter techniques
E. Attitudes and Behaviors
1. formative basis of attitude
2. perceived relevance of attitude to action (key to attitude-bahvior consistency)
3. Ways to Encourage Attitude-Consistent Behavior:
a. enhance perceived relevance
b. induce feelings of hypocrisy
c. encourage anticipation of feelings
F. Assessing Persuasive Effects
1. self-reports of perceived persuasiveness-much research here--but not w/o inconsistencies in findings
2. Assessment of actual persuasion superior to perceived persuasion
Chapter Two-Functional Approcahes to Atttitude
A. Classic View: four functions-utilitarian, ego-defensive, value-expressive, and knowledge
B. There is no consensus on any functional typology
C. Symbolic and Instrumental associations
D. Assessing Functions of Atttitude:
1. open-ended (coding)
2. closed-eneded (std responses scales)
3. proxy indices (self-monitoring). Self monitoring defined as (pg.34) "the control or regulation of one's self-presentation, and specifically to the tendency to tailor one's behavior to fit situational considerations"
E. Influences on Attitude Function
1. individual differences
2. the nature of the attitude object
3. features of the situation
F. Persuasion Function Matching (match appeal to the proper need)
1. Two Assciations-->symbolic (image) and instrumental (value,practical)
2. Messages with matched function appeals more persuasive than mismatched appeals
3. High Self-monitors are more likely to favor symbolic functions in persuasion than instrumental ones
4. Lo Self-monitors are more likely to favor instrumental functions in persuasion than symbolic ones
5. Analysis of Function matching--why should functions match?
a. enhance receiver's needs in psyche
b. function-matched messages are processed more carefully
c. receivers more carefully scrutinize messages that match
d. persuasion longer lasting (less decay) when functions match in message
e. receivers who evaluate matched messages via scrutiny are more likely to find problems with poor messages than receivers who do less scrutiny
6. Heurism of function matching is extensive: AIDS-related messages, democracy, volunteering. Function will vary depending on the topic and importance of the issue to receiver.
7. Functional Distinctions:
a. fuction of attitude
b. functions of expressing an attitude
c. functions of the attitude object
d. perceived vs actual functions of attitude