GE2248 Understanding Persuasion In Everyday Life Lecture 3

1 GE2248 Understanding Persuasion in Everyday Life Lecture 3 Theories of Persuasion (Aristotle's Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Model) Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Aristotle identified three modes of persuasion used to convince audiences ▫ Ethos, Pathos, and Logos (Greek wor...

1 GE2248 Understanding Persuasion in Everyday Life Lecture 3 Theories of Persuasion (Aristotle's Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Model) Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Aristotle identified three modes of persuasion used to convince audiences ▫ Ethos, Pathos, and Logos (Greek words) Ethos (Trust, Authority ) Persuasion Effectivene Logos ss (Logic, Pathos Reasonin (Emotion, g) Beliefs) 2 Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Logos ▫ Persuading the audience by using reason to justify the speaker’s argument ▫ E.g. Polythene bags should be banned  give reasons as to “why” like “polythene bags do not biodegrade and continue to pollute the environment” or “facts” like “thousands of bags are produced every week and are dumped somewhere after use”. ▫ Apply better structures, evidence, and logics to support your arguments in order to make the persuasion strong  Be mindful of the logical fallacy, which can be challenged by the audiences http://www.pathosethoslogos.com/ 3 Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Pathos ▫ Persuading the audience by appealing to their emotions ▫ When facts are well proved, people may not be able to reject it, BUT they ignore it. ▫ Stirring emotions in an audience is a way to get them involved in the speech, and involvement can create more opportunities for persuasion and action. ▫ Especially important when the audiences have no immediate or obvious pain/benefit, or it is not a must for them to take any actions in the discussed topic ▫ E.g. Convince people to be a vegetarian ▫ E.g. Convince people not to register for the organ donation http://www.pathosethoslogos.com/ 4 Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Ethos Persuading the audience by using the character/credibility of the speaker Word power can be so different when it is given by different people Make use of the sender’s identity/reputation/trustworthiness to enhance the persuasive power  Health topics  doctors; Investments  finance analyst; Products  users http://www.pathosethoslogos.com/ 5 Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Put in Practice! You receive a bill from your mobility service provider and you find that the company overcharges you. You want to money back. No persuasion technique: “Give me my money back!!” Applying the techniques of logos, ethos and pathos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc1TrKIzAJM Logos Phone log shows I didn’t use it that much Pathos I need the money to help my sick mom Ethos I have paid my bill on time for years 6 Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Suppose you want to buy a new Apple notebook, you are going to persuade your mother to sponsor you in the purchase. No persuasion technique: “I want to buy an Apple notebook. Please sponsor me, mum.” Applying the techniques of logos, ethos and pathos Logos Pathos Ethos 7 Successful Persuasion – Ethos, Pathos, Logos Points to remember Speakers should strive to appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos within a speech In order to persuade your audiences, proper use of ethos, pathos and logos is necessary, but do they carry the same weights in a successful persuasion? 8  Successful Persuasion You plan to buy a house in the city. How do you choose the house? How do you make the decision? Take the advices from the real estate agent directly? Think about the agent’s arguments carefully, and even conduct a comprehensive research on the property market in addition to the information received? Pictures from: https://activerain.com/blogsview/2112395/real-estate-humor 9  Successful Persuasion You are going to buy a lunch. Which restaurant do you select? How do you make the decision? Take the advices from your Think about your friend’s arguments carefully, friend directly study and compare the restaurant’s menu and background information carefully Pictures from: http://www.clipartbest.com/clipart-dT8nxKGTe; https://www.pinterest.com/pin/46161964916308714 10  Successful Persuasion You plan to do some investment in the stock market. How do you invest your money? How do you make the decision? Take the advices from the expert? Think about the advices carefully and search more up-to-day market information? 11 Pictures from: https://pixabay.com/photos/laptop-office-hand-writing-3196481/; https://pixabay.com/photos/chart-graph-finance-financial-data-2785979/ Successful Persuasion What is your conclusion? It depends on the situation ▫ High involvement (important) decision vs. Low involvement (unimportant) decision ▫ High involvement situation  high motivation to think about the messages and topics  want to ensure a right decision is made  Do you have the ability to understand/comprehend the messages and topics?  If yes  Message quality is the key  If no  Sender quality is the key ▫ Low involvement situation  low motivation to think about the messages and topics (no matter you have the ability to understand/comprehend the messages and topics)  Sender quality is the key 12  13 Persuasion Theory: Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) “Two Routes” to Persuasion  Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) Authors: Richard Petty and John Cacioppo (1986) ELM ▫ Demonstrates that different types of persuasive messages are processed through either the central or peripheral route and explains how each route produces different strengths of persuasion. ▫ Focuses attention on the number of thoughts Central processing Peripheral processing Many thoughts Few thoughts  Recap from the 2nd Lecture: Understanding your Audiences Motivation + Ability When the listener has both Motivation (willingness) to process a message Ability to process (understand) a message The Central route to persuasion Pictures from: http://annie-lady.blogspot.com/2013/04/elaboration-likelihood-model-vs.html 15 Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) The Central route to persuasion ▫ Thoughtful consideration of the arguments (ideas, content) in the message ▫ Persuasion effectiveness will largely be determined by how much sense the argument make to the audiences and whether or not they think that it is a good idea  Audiences look at the facts and critically analyzed what the persuader said. 16  Recap from the 2nd Lecture: Understanding your Audiences Motivation + Ability When the listener lacks the ability or motivation (or both) to engage in the thought on the message The Peripheral route to persuasion Pictures from: http://annie-lady.blogspot.com/2013/04/elaboration-likelihood-model-vs.html 17  Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) The Peripheral route to persuasion ▫ The receiver does not expend the effort to think carefully about the ideas in a message ▫ Decides whether to agree with the proposal on the basis of other cues, such as the source credibility or attractiveness, the number of arguments in the message, the prevailing view of a group (group think / norms) 18 Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) Motivation Ability Route E.g. high high Central Travel Wedding banquet high low Peripheral Bet on horse racing Medical treatments low high Peripheral Buy stationeries low low Peripheral ________________ ________________ ____ 19 Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) Attention: The attitude changed under different routes to persuasion is different 20 In Practice… What if the audience uses the central route to process information, but you do not have high quality arguments? Time is a factor to influence the listener’s response If your arguments are not very logical/strong, then you need to find ways to shorten the audience’s time in making decisions  Create an environment that make people feel pressures and in rush  Law of Scarcity 21  Law of Scarcity Law of Scarcity The more the scarcity of an item increases, the more the item increases in value, the greater the urge to own it because people don’t want to miss out on anything they could have had. Limited supply, Potential loss competition Limited time, (The property price (Property agent always deadline keeps rising. Delay in tell you that there is (No more delay) a purchase decision another potential may cause to a higher buyer considering the cost of purchase) house you just visited) https://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/laws_persuasion/chap7.html 22  Pathos Online Scam Review Sympathy and Pity: Scammers often tell heartbreaking stories about their past (e.g., being Ethos widowed or having lost a child) to elicit sympathy and emotional Impress profiles: attachment. Pretending to be the senior management of a Romantic and Loving Messages: company or a Scammers use sweet words, representative of an compliments, and promises of a future together to stir strong official organization romantic feelings. Shared Dreams and Values: the same dreams, values, or interests as the victim to create a deep All the scam cases are emotional connection. playing around with Create inner tension: Addressing ethos, logos and pathos. the friendship and love. How bad Logos More importantly, it it will be if the victim doesn’t trust or help; creates urgency! Self-investment Fear and Urgency: Scammers statements and records, create a sense of urgency about explanations about how their financial troubles or other the investment run, emergencies (losing earning analysis reports, opportunities) to evoke fear and investment website, etc. prompt immediate action. 23