PSYB10H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: John T. Cacioppo, Richard Petty, Attitude Change
PSYB10 – Introduction to Social Psychology Chapter 8
Chapter 8 – Persuasion
Dual-Process Approaches to Persuasion
Elaboration-Likelihood and Heuristic Systematic Models
• Elaboration-likelihood model (ELM)
o Richard Petty and John Cacioppo
o A model of persuasion maintaining that there are two different routes to
persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route
o Trying to predict whether a persuasive message will be effective, it is essential to
ko hether the target audiee is likel to elaorate thik deepl aout
that message or process it mindlessly
• Heuristic-systematic model (HSM)
o Shelly Chaiken
o A model of persuasion maintaining that there are two different routes to
persuasion: the systematic route and the heuristic route
• Both theory = people sometimes process persuasive messages rather mindlessly and
effortlessly and sometimes deeply and attentively
• Some types of persuasive appeals = more effective when the target audience is largely
o autopilot and other types is alert and attentive
• According to the ELM:
o Central route (ELM) /Systematic route (HSM) to persuasion
▪ Occurs when people think carefully and deliberately about the content of
a persuasive message
▪ Attend to the logic/strength of the arguments and evidence contained in
the message
▪ Bring relevant information of their own (experiences, memories, and
images) to the process of evaluating the message
▪ Lead to a change in attitude or not, careful sifting of the arguments and
evidence presented
o Peripheral route (ELM) / Heuristic route (HSM)
▪ People attend to peripheral aspects of a message
▪ Superficial, easy-to-process features of a persuasive communication that
are tangential to the persuasive information itself
▪ Peripheral cues = considered forms of evidence
▪ Person is swayed by these cues without engaging in much though
▪ Persuaded because a message comes from an expert/credible source,
ignoring what the source must say
▪ Relies on relatively simple heuristic (rule of thumb) in deciding how to
respond to a persuasive message
The Roles of Motivation and Ability
• Two factors that will determine whether we will engage in central or peripheral
processing:
1. Motivation - to devote time and energy to a message
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PSYB10 – Introduction to Social Psychology Chapter 8
▪ Example: When the message has personal consequences (it bears on our
goals, interests or well-being) -> central route
2. Ability – to process the message in depth
▪ Whe e hae suffiiet ogitie resoures/tie, e’re ale to proess
persuasive messages more deeply
▪ Knowledge about an attitude issue/object affects the ability factor
▪ Example: the ore e ko = the ore thoughtfull e’re ale to
scrutinize a persuasive message
▪ Example: when the ability is low = arguments in a persuasive message are
being presented too quickly/hard to comprehend -> peripheral route
• Example: ELM approach to persuasion:
1. Generate strong and weak arguments for an attitude issue or object
▪ Present these arguments as part of a persuasive message (peripheral
cues associated as well)
3. Vary a factor (such as the personal relevance of the issue) to manipulate the
likelihood that the participants will process the message centrally or peripherally
• Attitude change can be brought about by:
1. Strong arguments when people are motivated
2. The expertise of the source of the persuasive message he people are’t
motivated
• Routes to persuasion = twofold
o Some are thoughtful, systematic elaboration and can promote attitude change in
this manner
o Some are less engaging, effortful thinking and are more persuaded by superficial
ues eaple: har of the essage’s soure
• Long-lasting attitude change = persuasion through central route
• For immediate acquiescence of an audience not very motivated or attentive = the
peripheral route
The Elements of Persuasion
• Yale “hool approah roke do persuasio ito 3 eleets 3 W’s
1. ho – source of the message
2. hat – content of the message itself
3. to ho – intended audience of the message
Source Characteristics
• Source characteristics – characteristics of the person who delivers a persuasive message
(such as attractiveness, credibility, and certainty)
1. Attractiveness
▪ inclined to like and trust physically attractive people
▪ More likely to accept the attitudes they communicate
2. Credibility
▪ Expertise and trustworthiness
▪ Example: doctors – assume they are medical experts and trustworthy
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