SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY LECTURE NOTES

CHAPTER 7: PERSUASION
֍ Persuasion : The process by which a message induces change in beliefs,
attitudes, or behaviors. Social psychologists usually study persuasion the way
some geologists study erosion—by observing the effects of various factors in
brief, controlled experiments.
» Central route to persuasion : Occurs when interested people focus on the
arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.
» Peripheral route to persuasion : Occurs when people are influenced by
incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness. Focusing on cues that
trigger automatic acceptance without much thinking.
» Central route processing often swiftly changes explicit attitudes. Peripheral
route processing more slowly builds implicit attitudes through repeated
associations between an attitude object and an emotion «
» 4 Elements of Persuasion : The Communicator, The Message, How the
Message is Communicated, The Audience.
► Credibility : Believability. A credible communicator is perceived as both
expert and trustworthy (perceived expertise and trustworthiness).
► Sleeper effect : A delayed impact of a message that occurs when an initially
discounted message becomes effective, such as we remember the message but
forget the reason for discounting it. The impact of a noncredible person may
correspondingly increase over time if people remember the message better
than the reason for discounting it.
» In a short-term change, emotion is better than reason but in a long-term
change, it’s the opposite (REASON VS EMOTION) «
» Discrepancy : Change in the behaviour. High change means high discrepancy,
and low change means low discrepancy. For example trying to quit smoking, if
you start to quit smoke tomorrow, it means it’s a high discrepancy, but if you
quit smoking in a particular timeline which means low discrepancy.
» One Sided vs Two Sided Appeals (Messages) : In one-sided message, you
only mention about your own opinions (positive ones). However in two-sided
messages you talking about both positive and negative aspects about your
opinion. Also you trying to disprove negative aspects your opinion. If the
audience don’t know much thing about the idea, use one sided appeal,
 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY LECTURE NOTES

however if the audience has alternative opinions about the idea, use two-sided
appeal.
» Primacy effect : Other things being equal, information presented first usually
has the most influence.
» Recency effect : Information presented last sometimes has the most
influence. Recency effects are less common than primacy effects. If people
forget the first information receny effect become more powerful.
»» Channel of communication : The way the message is delivered.
» Two-step flow of communication : The process by which media influence
often occurs through opinion leaders(imam,ihtiyar heyeti, önde gelen kişiler
vs), who in turn influence others.
» Tailored (Targeted) Message : The message for spesific group of people. For
example Gilette advertisement. -For the exam
» Need for cognition : Analytical people—those with a high need for cognition
—enjoy thinking carefully and prefer central routes. People who like to
conserve their mental resources—those with a low need for cognition—are
quicker to respond to such peripheral cues as the communicator’s
attractiveness and the pleasantness of the surroundings.
»» Life cycle explanation : Attitudes change (for example, become more
conservative) as people grow older.
»» Generational explanation : Attitudes do not change; older people largely
hold onto the attitudes they adopted when they were young.
- Vermonts Bennington College – Look for the exam
» Attitude Inoculation : Exposing people to weak attacks upon their attitudes
so that when stronger attacks come, they will have refutations available.