COMM 612 Persuasion

Persuasion, as defined in the course syllabus, describes the activity required to change a person’s opinion from one position to another using particular strategies.  Persuasion is present in varying degrees and intentions in all communication.

The course offered insights into both the theory and practice of persuasion.  We looked at Aristotle and the components of rhetoric: logos (logic, reasoning), pathos (emotion), ethos (credibility), and mythos (the story or historic place).  This gave a foundation for discourse and helped me understand the separate components involved in communication. 

From the theoretical perspective, I was drawn to the dual process ELM theory.  The ELM Theory describes the two different decision making processors used by the human brain as we make decisions or judgments: the central route (slower, higher level reasoning) and the peripheral route (faster, uses short cuts, icons, brands and preconceptions).  How we think and process information has a clear impact on how persuasive actions can be effective. 

We are impacted by a 24/7 networked world with information and message overload.  We need short cuts, time savers and other mechanisms in order to function and make sense of so much stimuli.  It is in this realm of heuristic decision making that most of the techniques of persuasion come into play. 

Theory applied: individuals can be influenced when needs, emotions, attitudes, and desire for consistency are brought into play. We look for cues, common ground  (likability, identification), we use stories and metaphors to understand and shape complex ideas (which Burke showed can both reveal and conceal), we respond using our expectations and history, we value reciprocation, we respond to both direct and indirect arguments.  We are hard-wired to want things that are scarce. Gladwell in The Tipping Point (2002) shows the importance of special people (Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen), the power of stickiness where packaging counts, the power of one, and the power of context. Cialdini looked at the factors that make people say “yes”.  His book Influence: Science and Practice (2009) explores the power of commitment and consistency, social proof, reciprocity, liking, authority and deference, and explains in layman’s terms the art of persuasion.  I found the practical aspects of persuasion fascinating.

When I graduate from this program, I want to start my own business and act as a consultant helping small business with social media.  In my preparation for this next stage of my life, I was writing notes to myself about my business plan, and got to a point where I felt the need to define social media.  I found in thinking of social media, that this form of communication thrives on:

• likability
• credibility/authority
• social proof
• scarcity
• reciprocity
• consistency

All of the above are also aspects of persuasion!  Businesses, by utilizing social media, are communicating with their stakeholders, their clients and prospects, and are looking to impact or influence them in some way.  Social media can be defined by all of the above motivations of persuasive influence.  Social media can be used to make businesses more accessible, more friendly (likability).  It can be used to enhance business credibility by targeted blogging, useful information sharing and providing forums for two way communication between people and the company.  Social media is all about social proof, just look at the followers section of each social media outlet.   Also, people have a tendency to do business with people who have benefited us in some way (reciprocity and obligation). And finally, we value consistency which, for companies who are doing social media well, is reinforced by careful crafting of image through strategic messaging within the social media platforms.

 So, social media is all about persuasive communication.  Influencing people through communication is what social media and persuasion are about.  Some do it well, others...don't.  Because I now see the direct link between social media and persuasion, I will frame my approach with business in a different way.  More about this in my Capstone project!

The complexity of our world today and our need to process an overwhelming amount of information make the personal use of short cuts in thinking and processing mandatory.  This fact of life opens us up to persuasion, and can impact and influence our behaviors in ways that go against our logical, rational selves. This was my favorite course!

The following is information and assignments from this course:

The course syllabus COMM 612 Syllabus

During the course we read the following books, Influence: Science and Practice by Cialdini (2008), The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (2002), and Persuasion: Reception and Responsibility by Larson (2010).  I wrote the following book reviews and analyses: "Click, Whirr"  Book Review - Cialdini and Larson and "The Message" Book Review - Gladwell and Larson.

We also wrote weekly reflection papers:  The first one dealt with credibility and the impact on influence and persuasion in communications and messaging Persuasion Reflection #1, followed by a paper on short cuts, metaphors and stories used to reduce complex ideas like smart grid to understandable information Persuasion Reflection #2,  a paper on the personal desire for consistency which provides an opening for persuasion and influence Persuasion Reflection #3, a reflection on examples of persuasion in action - speed dating and messaging Persuasion #5, a paper using the example of the Good Samaritan within context and the associated persuasive impacts on communication Persuasion Reflection #6, a paper on Twitter Persuasion Reflection #7, and a reflection on the strength of non-verbal persuasion Persuasion Reflection #8.

The final project was a group effort where we developed and marketed a hypothetical Charitable Campaign which we called "Dessert First" using persuasive theory and practice Persuasion - Charitable Campaign.