Week 5 Lecture - Persuasion

Tuesday, 22 September 2020 7:18 PM

Lecture Objectives:
• The Peripheral Route to Persuasion
• Unconscious influences on attitude formation and change
• Cognitively based attitudes under low effort
• Affectively based attitudes under low effort

Last week: we identified what an attitude is and examined how consumers form attitudes ba
on their 1) cognitions and 2) their emotions when they are highly invested in dedicating time
and effort to processing marketing information (high MAO) == the central route to persuasio

This week: we shift our attention to the peripheral-route to persuasion. The peripheral rout
persuasion examines how consumers form attitudes based on their 1) cognitions, and 2) the
emotions when they are unable or unwilling to devote time and effort processing marketing
information (low MAO).

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

• Low MAO consumers do not process the message deeply
• Researchers have labelled this less effortful process as the peripheral-route to persuas
• Processing is peripheral because consumers' attitudes are based on more superficial o
tangential analysis of the message (i.e. the source or visuals which are easier to proce
rather than effortful analysis of the true merits of the message.
• When processing effort is low, consumers may form attitudes unconsciously without b
aware of how or why they have done so. The attitudes formed are based on a few ver
simple, or brief observations and their own body feedback (i.e. nodding signals
agreement).
• As a result of this low effort, attitudes are weaker and may be easier to attack.

•
 ased
e
on

te to
eir
g

sion.
or
ess)

being
ry
 •

Unconscious Influences
• Under low effort, recent research demonstrates that processing occurs below
conscious awareness. As a result, consumers may form an attitude(cognitive
or affective) without being aware that they have done so.
○ Thin Slice Judgements
§ A consumer may unconsciously form an evaluation after briefly
glancing at a product in a catalogue, listening to a small portion
of a politician's speech or after quickly speaking with a
salesperson in a store. These judgments are based on very
minimal information. Interestingly, these quick judgements tend
to be as accurate - and sometimes even more accurate - than
judgements formed based on longer exposure and greater
amounts of information.
○ Body Feedback
§ Consumers may use their body signals as "feedback" for their
evaluations.
§ Strack et al. (1988) found that participants who held a pen in
their teeth - which mimics a smile by activating the zygomatic
muscle - rated cartoons as funnier, compared to participants who
held a pen with their lips protruding, which inhibits smiling.
§ Forster(2004) found that participants who were induce to nod
have a more positive evaluation of a brand than consumers who
were induced to shake their head.
§ Consumers must understand what their body signals mean (eg.
That 'nodding' signals agreement) for this feedback to affect their
evaluations.
§ If consumers don't understand what the feedback from their
bodies mean, then it won't affect their evaluations.

Cognitively based attitudes under low effort

• Attitudes can also be formed cognitively when effort is low.
• Forms simple inferences based on simple associations. This will result in
simple beliefs.
 bodies mean, then it won't affect their evaluations.

Cognitively based attitudes under low effort

• Attitudes can also be formed cognitively when effort is low.
• Forms simple inferences based on simple associations. This will result in
simple beliefs.
• Consumers may form simple beliefs based on attributes or explanations for
an endorsement.
• Consumers may also use simple 'rules of thumb' (heuristics) as mental
shortcuts to aid judgements.

Marketing Implications
• How can marketers influence cognitively based attitudes when effort is low?
1. Use a Credible Communication Source
i. In a low effort context, the credibility of the source will serve as a
simple cue to judge the credibility of the message. For eg. A low
MAO consumer would see an ad by Usain Bolt(the world's fastest
runner) and form the simple belief that "these PUMA sneakers
must be good!"
2. Have a Simple Message
i. Marketers should make it easy for consumers to process the
message and make immediate associations.
ii. For eg., when a consumer sees this ad, their immediate thought
would likely be "this ketchup adds flavour to a meal!"

3. Consumers may also use the number of supporting arguments as a

simplifying rule to form their beliefs about the offering. If there are lots
of supporting arguments, consumers will form a belief that the offering
must be good. This is called the frequency heuristic. For eg.
 3. Consumers may also use the number of supporting arguments as a
simplifying rule to form their beliefs about the offering. If there are lots
of supporting arguments, consumers will form a belief that the offering
must be good. This is called the frequency heuristic. For eg.
Marketers and advertisers often cite many reasons to buy their
offerings.

4. Repeating the same message can also make beliefs more prominent or
salient, because constant repetition increases recall through effortless
incidental learning.
i. Repetition will also lead to stronger beliefs about an offering,
because consumers will use the familiarity of the message to
judge its accuracy(rather than thinking about and evaluating the
information). In other words, the more times you hear
something, the truer it seems! This is known as the illusory
truth effect.
ii. This effect is so powerful that repetition can persuade as to
believe information that is not true in the first place, like fake
news and conspiracy theories!

Affectively based attitudes under low effort

• Attitudes can also be formed when effort is low.

Mere Exposure Effect

○ The more familiar we are with something, the more we come to like it
○ For eg. Have you ever heard a song on the radio that you first thought
was annoying, but then grew to like it a little more each day?
○ Marketers take advantage of the mere exposure effect by reposting
content on social media, streaming advertisements across multiple
channels and displaying their logos on sporting fields, like race tracks,
so that you can see the brand logo each time the car goes around the
track
○ Even game developers take advantage of this familiarity bias by basing
 ○ Marketers take advantage of the mere exposure effect by reposting
content on social media, streaming advertisements across multiple
channels and displaying their logos on sporting fields, like race tracks,
so that you can see the brand logo each time the car goes around the
track
○ Even game developers take advantage of this familiarity bias by basing
their online slots on popular films like Jurassic Park that people know
and love!

Mood
○ We are more likely to say we like something when in a good mood, and
more likely to say we dislike something when in a bad mood.
○ Brighter lighting, certain colours, pleasant in-store music, friendly
salespeople can all positively influence consumers' moods!
○ Eg. Music prompts the brain to release more of the "happy hormone"
dopamine, causing a person to feel good.

Classical and Evaluative Conditioning

○ Classical conditioning involves producing a conditioned response(CR) to
a neutral stimulus by repeatedly pairing it with another unconditional
stimulus(US) that automatically produces an unconditioned
response(UR).
○ For example, if a US (e.g. food) naturally causes a salivation response in
dogs (UR), then we could repeatedly pair a neutral stimulus (e.g. a bell)
with the US (e.g. food), so the bell can be conditioned (i.e. bell becomes
the CS) to produce the same, conditioned response CR (i.e. salivation).
Each time I ring the bell, the dog should start to salivate even if the
food is not there!

○ Whereas classical conditioning tends to focus on physiological

responses(i.e. salivation), evaluative conditioning is concerned with
only evaluative or affective responses, such as a change in the liking of
the conditioned stimulus.
○ Little Albert = conditioned to fear rats and other familiar objects.
 ○ Whereas classical conditioning tends to focus on physiological
responses(i.e. salivation), evaluative conditioning is concerned with
only evaluative or affective responses, such as a change in the liking of
the conditioned stimulus.
○ Little Albert = conditioned to fear rats and other familiar objects.
○ Classical conditioning = refer to a change in any type of response
○ Evaluative conditioning = concerns only a change in the evaluative
responses to the condition stimulus. Change to the liking of the
condition stimulus.

Marketing Implications
1. Use a physically attractive or likable communication source
i. Attractive models serve as peripheral cues to increase situational
involvement and conjure a positive attitude towards an ad.
ii. Likable sources may serve as an unconditioned stimuli "US" that
help to create a positive mood which lead consumers to feel
more positive about the endorsed offering.
2. Use pleasant pictures, music, humour, emotional content embed in a
likable context(eg. Enjoyable TV programme)
i. Pleasant pictures and music can positively affect consumer's
mood or make an advertisement likable.
 help to create a positive mood which lead consumers to feel
more positive about the endorsed offering.
2. Use pleasant pictures, music, humour, emotional content embed in a
likable context(eg. Enjoyable TV programme)
i. Pleasant pictures and music can positively affect consumer's
mood or make an advertisement likable.
ii. Humour is more effective for low-involvement offerings in which
case generating positive feelings is important.
iii. Mild sexual suggestions and nudity can be effective because they
evoke emotional responses such as arousal and excitement which
in turn can positively influence consumers attitudes towards the
ad and the brand.
iv. Drama appeals and transformational advertising can increase a
consumer's emotional involvement can also be effective.

Product Placement
○ Mere exposure works best when a person is unconsciously exposed to
stimulus i.e. it is subtle.
○ When we are not aware, we cannot discount or override the effect of
mere exposure; we simply experience greater perceptual fluency,
which results in greater liking for the stimulus we have been exposed
to.

Module Summary:
1. Consumers may be unwilling or unable to exert resources to process
information, and instead will rely on simple inferences, heuristics, or
emotional responses to easily process peripheral cues.
2. Under low effort, consumers may form attitudes unconsciously without
being aware they have done so due to thin slice judgements and body
feedback.
3. Attitudes are weaker and easier to attack when they have been formed
under low effort.