4985 Dainton Chapter 5
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5
Explaining Theories of Persuasion
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S
ince the mid-1930s when Dale Carnegie first published his best-selling book How to Win Friends and Influence People, the notion of how to persuade others has been both a popular and profitable subject. Concurrently, with the rise of mass media and the pervasiveness of propaganda used in both World Wars, the study and understanding of mass-mediated persuasive messages became critical to understanding political and social change. Today, the importance of understanding the power of persuasive messages is greater than ever. According to Kilbourne (1999), “the average American is exposed to at least three thousand ads every day and will spend three years of his or her life watching television commercials” (p. 58). Clearly, we are inundated with messages of persuasion and influence in all aspects of our lives— relational, social, political, and economic. Accordingly, we believe that having an understanding of how persuasive messages work (or don’t work!) is central for surviving in today’s advertising and media-blitzed society. 103
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APPLYING COMMUNICATION THEORY FOR PROFESSIONAL LIFE
❖ PERSUASION DEFINED
Persuasion is typically defined as “human communication that is designed to influence others by modifying their beliefs, values, or attitudes” (Simons, 1976, p. 21). O’Keefe (1990) argued that there are requirements for the sender, the means, and the recipient to consider something persuasive. First, persuasion involves a goal and the intent to achieve that goal on the part of the message sender. Second, communication is the means to achieve that goal. Third, the message recipient must have free will (i.e., threatening physical harm if the recipient doesn’t comply is usually considered force, not persuasion). Accordingly, persuasion is not accidental, nor is it coercive. It is inherently communicational.
Many theories in this
9/16/2004
12:33 PM
Page 103
5
Explaining Theories of Persuasion
❖ ❖ ❖
S
ince the mid-1930s when Dale Carnegie first published his best-selling book How to Win Friends and Influence People, the notion of how to persuade others has been both a popular and profitable subject. Concurrently, with the rise of mass media and the pervasiveness of propaganda used in both World Wars, the study and understanding of mass-mediated persuasive messages became critical to understanding political and social change. Today, the importance of understanding the power of persuasive messages is greater than ever. According to Kilbourne (1999), “the average American is exposed to at least three thousand ads every day and will spend three years of his or her life watching television commercials” (p. 58). Clearly, we are inundated with messages of persuasion and influence in all aspects of our lives— relational, social, political, and economic. Accordingly, we believe that having an understanding of how persuasive messages work (or don’t work!) is central for surviving in today’s advertising and media-blitzed society. 103
05-Dainton.qxd
104
9/16/2004
12:33 PM
Page 104
APPLYING COMMUNICATION THEORY FOR PROFESSIONAL LIFE
❖ PERSUASION DEFINED
Persuasion is typically defined as “human communication that is designed to influence others by modifying their beliefs, values, or attitudes” (Simons, 1976, p. 21). O’Keefe (1990) argued that there are requirements for the sender, the means, and the recipient to consider something persuasive. First, persuasion involves a goal and the intent to achieve that goal on the part of the message sender. Second, communication is the means to achieve that goal. Third, the message recipient must have free will (i.e., threatening physical harm if the recipient doesn’t comply is usually considered force, not persuasion). Accordingly, persuasion is not accidental, nor is it coercive. It is inherently communicational.
Many theories in this