This document provides a summary of the most important takeaways from each lecture and the key terms related to it. It also includes the answers to all the key questions, which is basically 90% of your preparation for the exam. Lastly, you can also find the answers to the mock exam.
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Faculty of Arts
BA Communication & Information Studies
Persuasive Communication 2023 - 2024
Key Questions per chapter + Answers + Important Lecture Notes + Mock
Exam
by Lidia Nikolova
Dear colleagues, I hope this document makes it easier for you to prepare
for the exam. The answers to most of the questions are quite detailed so
as to grasp as much of the essence of the course as possible. Keep in mind
that this document is not enough to prepare for the exam. Make sure to
read the reader thoroughly so you understand how all concepts relate to
each other. I have also posted another document called ‘Persuasive
Communication – Detailed notes from the lectures’. Read this document
in combination with the detailed notes to get a thorough understanding
of the whole study material.
1
, Chapter 1:
1. What is persuasion?
Persuasion is a successful intentional effort at influencing another’s mental state through
communication in a circumstance in which the persuadee has some measure of
freedom.
Persuasion only occurs if he mental state of the persuadee is indeed changed.
When we try to convince someone about a certain income we are trying to influence
someone’s mental state. One of the key constructs is the concept of attitude.
Definition of Attitude:
“A psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity or particular
object with some degree of favor or disfavor”
“Entity” can be anything, from a very concrete object to a very abstract concept. Example:
an object (classroom), a person (me), an institution (university), a behaviour (studying at
home), a policy (cell phones not allowed), a product (iPhone), etc..
2. What is the difference between persuasive and informative documents?
The difference between persuasive and in informative texts is the intention of the author
behind the text. In persuasive documents, authors aim to convince the reader of what is
written in the text, adopt a certain behaviour or an attitude. In informative texts, authors
aim to inform the public on a certain topic, thus expressing just facts and no opinions.
Without a doubt, informative documents may turn into persuasive ones, but this depends
on the mental state and beliefs of the readers. An example of difference between persuasive
and informative documents would be:
A journalist from the European Parliament writes an article on the living conditions in Kyiv,
after the invasion by Russians. - informative document
A people’s rights group sends out letters to nations around Europe to encourage them to
donate money for all the Ukrainian children and mothers who lost their men in war, by
including features of guilt, death, and starvation. – persuasive text
2
, 3. What four instruments are available to a government when they want to influence
behavior?
The four instruments available to a government when they want to influence behaviour
are:
1. Financial instruments (e.g. tax benefits when buying a hybrid car and higher road
taxes for heavier vehicles)
2. Private law instruments (e.g. allowing the trade in manure permits)
3. Direct regulation (via legislation (laws))
4. Social regulation (via e.g. public information)
The choice of instrument depends on the properties of the available instruments but also on
the nature of the situation.
3.1 What is the role of ‘enforcement burden’ and ‘personal responsibility’ in the choice
between these measures?
If the government decides to adopt laws or regulations, these will come with a certain
enforcement burden since the government must be prepared to enforce them. (For example
like prohibiting smoking in closed places – the government employed inspectors)
But when the government wants to employ campaigns with the use of social regulation,
they would appeal to one’s personal responsibility to do so.
Thus, ‘Enforcement burden’ and ‘Personal responsibility’ are communicating vessels. The
more an instrument appeals to citizen’s personal responsibility, the lighter the government
enforcement burden. If the instrument allows less personal responsibility, the enforcement
burden increases.
3.2 How does urgency of the situation influence the choice between these measures?
When a situation is categorized as very urgent the chosen measure to deal with it would
be direct regulation since it is more effective to enforce the desired behaviour. In less
urgent situations, the government can choose between several instruments, based on
the nature of the situation and with three dimensions playing a role.
3.3 What dimensions play a role in not-so-urgent situations?
The three dimensions that play a role in not-so-urgent situations are:
1. Measurability of behaviour – the measurability of the behaviour is the easy of
difficulty with which the government can monitor whether people abide by the
rules. The easier it is to make certain that people do so, the lower the
enforcement burden and the OPPOSITE.
2. Structure of the target group – the size and the heterogeneity of people who are
supposed to change their behaviour. Is this group small and easy to identify or
large and heterogeneous?
3
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