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Uitgebreide samenvatting van colleges, aantekeningen en oefenvragen / Extensive summary of lectures, notes and exam questions
The Dynamics of Persuasion, Communication and Attitudes in the 21st century
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Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)
Communicatiewetenschap
Marketing en persuasieve communicatie (S_MPC)
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Marketing and persuasive
communication
1st period 2024
,1 Introduction to persuasion
Persuasion, the study of attitudes (feelings towards something) and how to shape them, while
involving the persuader’s awareness that he/she is trying to influence someone else. Negatively
including the establishment of relationships to eventually get money from them and using a fake
profile picture on a dating app. Positively including sites that hope to gain interest of people to
share instructions for money management, car fix, presentation in court and/or happy living, even
as a antismoking campaign or a friend who persuades you to see yourself in a more positive light –
giving your self-esteem back.
Persuasion is central in social change → activists use it to help change racial/gender role attitudes
or to warn customers about dishonest business practices, launching campaigns to change
attitudes regarding alcohol, drugs, unsafe sex…
Ways in which today’s persuasion differs from previous eras:
- Number of messages: the number and reach of persuasive communication has grown
exponentially
- Speed and brevity: using as few words as possible to express something – the quality of
being brief and to the point (a message/speech that is clear and short)
- Conducted via institutions and organizations
- Subtlety and devious: embracing flattery, empathy, nonverbal communication and
likeability, playing on emotions.
o Ex1: McDonalds has a playground for children to cleverly link the restaurant with an
active, healthy lifestyle
o Ex2: news websites place an ad in the format of an article, so that people don’t
recognise the persuasive attempt
- Exposure to new, but also bias-confirming information: social media is an echo chamber,
because people frequently come into contact with messages with which they already
agree, so shared persuasive messages are already reaffirmed with a political perspective.
Social media causes the spread of false information that is not based on scientific facts
- Complexity and mediation: persuaders don’t know their clients anymore due to cultural
and racial diversity – marketeers can’t assume a certain way of thinking anymore, which
results in more difficult interpersonal persuasion
- Digitization (exposure to short, metaphorical messages with simultaneous message
exchange among millions of strangers, subject to multiple interpretations)
o Increased interactivity, complexity and blurred lines between information/influence/
entertainment, resulting in receivers interpreting messages falsely, creating
unintended meanings
o Shown in online advertising, public service announcements, political commercials,
telephone marketeers, spread through mediated channels in a colourful language
with emoticons and sounds
o Ads today combine celebs, symbols (success, fame, athletic power) and
commodity signs (the Nike swoosh)
Persuasive message effects are unique, because:
1. They can involve simple catchphrases
2. Diffuse more quickly and widely than previous technologies
3. Enable others to participate in meaning conferral
4. Are capable of mobilizing individuals across national boundaries
Foundations of persuasion
Chimpanzees have been investigated, showing their techniques to get along with peers, forming
coalitions and being able to recognize rewards for the favoured and punishments for
disobedience. The apes have shown ways to control and secure their power. Yet, apes’ behaviour
is better described as social influence and coercion.
, - The chimpanzees aren’t aware of their own attempts to influence peers, along with the fact
that the persuadees aren’t exactly making (un)conscious decisions to change their minds
- Apes have shown to be able to read intentions, draw mental inferences and behave in sort-
of morally relevant ways, but they don’t posses the ability to change attitudes, so their
behaviour cant be characterized as persuasion
Persuasion =
Persuasion involves a guidance to step-by-step move people to a solution in
a symbolic
a process, using symbols with psychological/cultural meaning, open to
process in which
multiple interpretations and doesn’t operate on a literal level.
There must be an aware and conscious attempt to influence, but it doesn’t
have to succeed (therefore, a toddler screaming for toys isn’t persuasion,
but social influence; toddlers haven’t yet reached the state where they are
communicators aware that they are trying to change another person’s mental state)
try to convince
Social influence is the broad process in which the behaviour of one alters
thoughts/actions of the other, occurring when receivers act on cues or
messages that were not necessarily intended for their consumption
Self-persuasion: people persuade themselves to change attitudes, because
other people to you can’t force people to be persuaded. Communicators only provide the
change their arguments, activating a desire by logical new ideas. People can alter their
attitudes or lives by altering their attitudes of mind – as you think, so shall you be.
behaviours
regarding an Therapy involves persuasion; offering suggestions, providing arguments to
issue through start healing. In the end, the client is responsible for its own changes, making
sure they don’t fall into their old habits again
Can be in the form of: advertising, political campaign, interpersonal sale, art
the transmission
(book, movie, play, song) – it all changes the way we see life. Journalists
of a message
don’t try to change people’s attitudes, only offering info and perspectives.
To be free, is to do other than what the persuader suggests, reflecting
critically on choices. However, there is not something like absolute freedom,
in an atmosphere
because one could never access all the information; Americans don’t read
of free choice
the critical newspaper of the Middle East and American tv streams mostly
positive pictures about the country, not questioning the capitalist system
Persuasion vs coercion (dwang)
Persuasion = when people believe Coercion, as a technique for forcing people to act as
that they are free to reject the the coercer wants, includes:
communicator’s position, they’re
free – falling under persuasion - Delivering a believable threat of significant physical
or emotional harm
Involving free choice - Depriving the individual’s freedom/autonomy
(feeling like they don’t have a choice)
(asking your friend things, antidrug - Attempting to induce the individual to act contrary
appeal to a loved one, political to her preferences
campaigns, sales and
telemarketing) (threatening messages, communication in an abusive
relationship, smoking ban, enforcement of seat belt laws)
(both: art, movies, music, entertainment on TV shows, news)
, The same act can be experienced by person A as persuasion (claiming to feel free to reject the
communicator’s position) and by person B as coercion (claiming to have had no choice but to
comply). Terrorism is a coercive (violent) act, but always comes with a scream for attention and
sympathy for their cause – a message, trying to alter the behaviour of the large audience. There is
an attempt to provoke a reaction, scare people, convincing to change lifestyles
Persuasion vs propaganda
Persuasion Propaganda
1. Works in democratic societies, involving 1. A form of communication in which the
a freer flow of information, offering the leaders of a ruling group (Nazi Germany,
audience an easy way to access Chinese Revolution, North Korean
multiple perspectives that challenge government, ISIS) have total control over
the government’s decisions. Multiple the transmission of information, relying on
political parties exist and you are free mass media or social media, using
to read the things you want. language and symbols in a
deceptive/manipulative manner
2. /
2. Deceptive, hiding opposing opinions,
3. Occurs in mediated and interpersonal/ making it impossible to access
organizational contexts (one-on-one, alternative viewpoint. Reflects the
group meeting, political rallies) worldview of an anti-democratic regime.
4. Positive connotation: has beneficial 3. Involves media (mass media/interactive
outcomes, but often associated with ones like YT)
manipulation to criticize the
persuadee’s techniques (when one 4. Negative connotation: evil forces →
hides the true persuasive goal, persuasive communication with which
misleading the recipient) one disagrees and to which the
individual attributes hostile intent
Persuasive effects of communication:
- Shaping: tobacco companies spend million on shaping people’s attitudes toward
cigarettes, through associating cigarettes with beautiful women. Socialization can be
regarded as attitude shaping for a variety of pro-social values (self-discipline, religion)
- Reinforcing: persuaders try to strengthen existing beliefs rather than change them →
politicians focus on intensifying their base over gaining new voters + health educators try to
maintain healthy behaviours and overcome relapse
- Changing responses: persuasion can cause societal shifts in racial attitudes and
acceptance of gay marriage through civil rights movements, media influence and
dialogue. However, these changes are gradual, step-by-step and happen over time
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