Persuasion is an art that we meet in all spheres of life; academia, social, political, etc. It has positive and negative outcomes. When one communicates, it is of extreme importance that an awareness of the Principles of Persuasion is utmost in their preparation if they are to make a lasting impression. This paper will attempt to define and analyze the six principles and show them in application. 1. Principle of Reciprocity: Human nature has indoctrinated us a value that “one good turn deserves another.” We feel that if a form of kindness is extended to us, the best way to show our appreciation is to give them something back in return. The added incentive is that in reciprocity, trust is built and relationships are born. In a business setting, reciprocity can be gleamed in brand loyalty. Free samples that are given induce clients to buy a product. A positive experience will draw an audience closer.
2. Principle of
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Principle of Consensus: “Mob psychology” plays a big role in modern life. People tend to be swayed by popular decisions and ultimately believe that what the majority wants is best for the outcome. Therefore, one needs to buttress persuasion by engaging “social proof.” This could be in the form of testimonials from satisfied customers. Adverts tend to use sport personalities to advertise their products and therefore if Serena Williams uses shield deodorant, many people would likely follow suit. Human beings will look to their peers if they are uncertain and will go with the flow.
6. Principle of Liking: The principle is based on three positives; Physical attractiveness, safety and belonging. Humans tends to associate with people who would guarantee these three or possess these characteristics. Familiarity often gets us to be comfortable when we are thrust among strangers or unfamiliar situations. We tend to love compliments hence flattery also creeps in to get us to accomplish certain tasks that we would not normally do.
Persuasion
Andres Martin takes full advantage of the three modes of persuasion outlined by Aristotle and in the following few paragraphs, I will outline each
In persuasion, the Mere Exposure Theory, the Dissonance Theory, and the Social Judgment Theory are used. Each of these theories of persuasion explains why it works or does not work in any specific setting. Depending on the theory, certain means of applying these theories can be successful or unsuccessful. The Mere Exposure Theory of persuasion states that people will be persuaded simply by repeated exposure. (G.Magee,
Persuasion is the concept of changing someone’s mind or supporting a certain value, belief, or behavior.
A persuasive message tries to convince the audience to agree to the speaker’s position. For instance, the goal of persuasion is to lead. On account of this, persuasion is just a logical and well supported arguments; an argument is the enounce of the orator’s position with the aid of the rhetorical strategies (logos, ethos and pathos).But the question is how to be a successful persuasive speaker? The response is easy, convince the audience or change their behaviour without using any strategy that violate any of the ethical principles.
According to Merriam Webster, the term “ethical” can be defined as “rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.” Being able to differentiate between what is good, and what is bad is key when it comes to many things. One of these things includes persuasion. There are many concepts that can explain why certain principles of persuasion can be more ethical than others, and many that are critical to being an ethical communicator. Said concepts are explained in Rothwell’s text, In the Company of Others, Robert Cialdini and Steve Martins video, Science of Persuasion, and Stephen Carter’s text, Integrity.
The book Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion was written by Jay Heinrichs to elucidate the techniques of persuasion. Thank You For Arguing, first published in 2007, has been used worldwide to help students and adults learn the knowledge of persuasion. Heinrichs includes many examples on how to use the different varieties of persuasion. Heinrichs uses steps to make sure he changes his audience's opinion, discusses ethos in depth, and continues to use Aristotle's reasonings. Furthermore there should be continue use of this book for ENGL 1301 because the students can gain a lot of insight from rhetoric.
Persuasion is a commonly used communication technique that allows us to socially influence a certain topic positively or negatively. Its purpose is to help affirm or nullify an idea, belief or attitude. Sometimes the exact topic is very detectable in communication such as during debates but other times it displayed a little more subtly. Persuasion is more than just verbally speaking. Non-verbal communication such as body language, tone and pitch of the voice can also add to the affirmation of the topic. The setting and location also help encourage the acceptance of what is being persuaded.
According to Aristotle (Rhetoric, I, 2), there are three means of persuasion achievable by the spoken word. Firstly, there is the personal character of the speaker (‘ethos’), which makes him more credible to the extent that the audience tends to trust a “good man” more than others. Secondly, Aristotle highlights the importance of arousing emotions from the audience
Cialdini Robert Cialdini, Regents’ Professor of Psychology and Marketing, Arizona State University, has spent 30 years studying the ways people are influenced and persuaded. He has composed his findings down to six key principles, found in the fifth edition of ‘Influence: Science and Practice’. In fact, Cialdini's theory of influence is based on six key principles: reciprocity, consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity because no leader can achieve successful results without mastering the art of persuasion. But there is hard science in that skill, too, and a large body of psychological research prompts that there are six basic laws of winning friends and influencing people (Cialdini R. B., 2001, p. 72).
According to the text , Social Psychology, “social psychology is the scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another”(pg. 4) this is viewed in a variety of social topics incorporating group behaviors, attitudes, conformity, obedience to authority, stereotypes and peer pressure. Outside factors can have a positive or negative affect our view of ourselves and each other. These outside factors are used to persuade and influence group behavior. Persuasion is defined as “the process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors” (Myers, 2010, pg. 230). The principles of this process of persuasion according to researchers, Robert Cialdini and Thomas Davidson, are attractiveness and likeability, reciprocity, social proof, consistency, authority, and scarcity (Davidson, 2008)(Myers, 2010, pg. 237). These principles of persuasion impact our self-perception, our attitudes and behaviors, and our culture.
Reciprocity; this is the mutual exchange of value or service. It has been proved that one is likely to respond positively to another based on the feeling of indebtedness to the previous favor he might have received earlier. It is like the “scratch my back I scratch yours” situation. Once this
In closing, Persuasion is a powerful tool, both in trying to persuade others and being
Persuasion is an important aspect of communication, certainly a significant business activity. Regardless of whether this comes in the form of a sender influencing a party or the receiver itself is being influenced. Typically, this could come in the form of a salesman or, even a manager communicating with key stakeholders, such as potential investors.
Persuasion is a shift in beliefs and attitudes that is positive in response to a persuasive message. Adapted from from Till and Bustler (2000) and Praxmarer (2001), persuasion is measured by asking the participants to express their agreement on a seven point scale (strongly disagree-strongly agree) to statements such as “I find the product persuasive.” There were four statements total for this measure.
The book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini illustrates the implementation of reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. The book identifies these six principles as weapons of influence in aiding with persuasion. The following explains and applies each principle.