How persuasive is your message?
How are people influenced in making decisions or changing their minds?
One theory forms the backbone of most persuasion studies. The elaboration likelihood model outlined by Richard Petty and APS President-Elect John Cacioppo in 1986 proposes two routes a message can take in terms of changing a person’s attitude and behavior.
One is the central route, which requires careful scrutiny of an argument presented in a message and appeals to people who enjoy thinking through the logic of statements. If the message is presented by a credible source and forms a strong logical argument, then persuasion will be likely according to the model.
The other option is the peripheral route, which relies less on critical thinking and more on the overall feeling one gets from the message. Is the character in the message likeable? Is there a catchy slogan? Is the presentation of the message just plain cool?
This model helps explain why some messages stick and are influential and others are not. And also why the same message may be effective for some people and completely lost on other audiences.
When crafting a message it is important to consider this in some detail.
if we want to influence someone’s behavior we have to look at what state of change a person is in, and how motivated they are to change in the first place.
Petty’s model provides a framework to allow you to do this:
- Consider the audience elaboration level
- Design and evaluate message characteristics
- Message objectives
- Evaluate fit between audience elaboration, message characteristics and message objectives
- Test message effectiveness
- Evaluate message effectiveness
Another particularly interesting aspect of the model is that the dual pathways do not apply to children and adolescents who have not yet developed the dual pathways for processing information. They are far more heavily influenced by the peripheral route in forming their opinions of the world.
Also it is interesting to consider your own decisions using the frame of the model. Have you taken the central route and followed a logical argument or have you taken the peripheral route influenced more highly by superficial ques?
To effect longer-term changes in attitude, use the central route. For simple compliance, use the peripheral route.
If you have their attention, be logical and present a compelling argument. If, however, they are not really paying attention to you (and you can deliberately distract them), put them in a good mood (eg. with a joke) then use subtle cues such as attractive clothes and leading statement. Then quickly lead them one more step at a time to where you want them to be.
There is an excellent discussion of this model on the “You are not so smart” podcast.
References -
- Petty, R. E., Briñol, P., & Priester, J. R. (2009). Mass media attitude change: Implications of the Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion. In J. Bryant & M. B. Oliver (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (3 ed., pp. 125–164). New York: Routledge.
- Rucker, D. D., & Petty, R. E. (2006). Increasing the effectiveness of communications to consumers: Recommendations based on elaboration likelihood and attitude certainty perspectives. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 25(1), 39–52.
- Various Wikipedia — Elaboration Likelihood Model
- You are not so smart -
