EXPLAINING THE THEORIES OF PERSUASION

● PERSUASION DEFINED
○ Persuasion is typically defined as “human communication that is designed
to influence others by modifying their beliefs, values, or attitudes”.

The four theories we discuss in this chapter include social judgment theory, the elaboration
likelihood model (ELM), cognitive dissonance, and the narrative paradigm.

❖ SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORY

➢ This theory proposes that people make evaluations (judgments) about the
content of messages based on their anchors, or stance, on a particular topic or
messages.
➢ Each person’s attitudes can be placed into three categories.
■ the latitude of acceptance, which includes all those ideas that a person
finds acceptable.
■ the latitude of rejection, which includes all those ideas that a person finds
unacceptable.
■ the latitude of noncommitment, which includes ideas for which you have
no opinion—you neither accept nor reject these ideas.

❖ ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD MODEL

➢ The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) views persuasion primarily as a cognitive
event. meaning that the targets of persuasive messages use mental processes of
motivation and reasoning (or a lack thereof) to accept or reject persuasive
messages.
➢ ELM posits two possible routes or methods of influence : centrally routed
messages and peripherally routed messages. (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986)
■ Slow and steady - the central route of persuasion.
■ taking a shortcut - the peripheral route to persuasion

❖ COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY

➢ Persuasion isn't only about establishing new or refined views in others, according
to cognitive dissonance theory (CDT). Instead, CDT predicts that influence is
frequently an intrapersonal event that occurs when conflict between our attitudes
and behaviors produces a tension that is relieved by changing either our beliefs
or behaviors, resulting in a change.

❖ NARRATIVE PARADIGM
➢ The Narrative Paradigm stresses the effectiveness of influence through
narration—that is, persuasion through storytelling.
➢ Views persuasion through a descriptive lens. That is, persuasion isn’t so much a
rational process as it is an emotional process based on storytelling. Importantly,
narratives must have coherence and the logic of good reasons to be influential.
 TASK 2

PRESIDENT JOKO SPEECH

1. THE TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES USED IN THE SPEECH

a. Manipulative Persuasion
b. Appeals Techniques - the Desire to follow a tradition, Desire to be wealthy or save
money, Desire to protect animals and the environment.
c. Formal Language Techniques - This can make the argument sound reasonable
and rational, and the contention seem balanced.
d. Logos - appeals to reason (logical arguments),
i. Reason from a principle that you believe everyone in your audience accepts.
ii. Reason with parallel cases which are used to frame an unfamiliar concept in
something more familiar.

2. THE AUDIENCE, TIME, PLACE, MOTIVE (PURPOSE), AND SIGNALS (VERBAL AND
NON VERBAL)
a. Audience : indonesian citizens
b. Time / Day : Sunday
c. Place : at the Sentul International Convention Center in Bogor, West Java.
d. Motive (Purpose) : To influence the citizens to work together to develop the country
and live harmonies

3. IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE

a. Make us feel like we are a unity because he uses us and we when delivering the
content so it will push our willingness to give cooperation to him because we are a
unity. (emotional - rangsang depa untuk kerjasama). - satu bones between citizens
and president to satukan rakyat.
b. Give a big influence for us to trust him because every of his plans for the country is
elaborate and takes into account everyone.
c. Make the citizens feel that he did not take lightly on his responsibilities as a
president.