C1: theories of persuasion

• Who proposed the Hovland-Yale theory of persuasion?

  Carl Hovland and colleagues
• What are the three main factors in the Hovland-Yale theory?

  Communicator, communication, and recipients
• What enhances a communicator's persuasiveness?

  Perceived credibility and expertise
• Why is a qualified medical doctor persuasive for health messages?

  They are perceived as credible experts
• How does personal experience contribute to credibility?

  It allows sharing relatable insights
• What is the role of emotional appeal in health messages?

  It can change behavior through fear
• Why must recipients believe negative outcomes can be avoided?

  To enhance the persuasiveness of fear messages
• What is the difference between one-sided and two-sided arguments?

  One-sided presents only one view, two-sided presents both
• How do well-informed audiences react to one-sided messages?

  They find them biased and less persuasive
• Who is easier to persuade according to the Hovland-Yale theory?

  People with lower intelligence
• Why are people with low self-esteem more easily persuaded?

  They may not fully understand the message
• What does research support about the Hovland-Yale theory?

  It predicts emotional appeal's effectiveness
• What was the most persuasive message in Sturges and Rogers' study?

  High threat with the possibility to quit
• What is a practical application of the Hovland-Yale theory?

  Targeting resources efficiently in health campaigns
• What is a weakness of the Hovland-Yale theory regarding self-esteem?

  Research contradicts its predictions about self-esteem
• What did Baumeister and Covington find about self-esteem and persuasion?

  High self-esteem individuals are easier to persuade
• What is the relationship between self-esteem and persuasion according to McGuire?

  It is curvilinear, not linear
• What does fear arousal theory propose?

  Fear can motivate attitude and behavior change
• How does fear create motivation according to Dollard and Miller?

  By creating unpleasant physiological arousal
• What is the role of negative reinforcement in fear arousal theory?

  It strengthens behavior change by reducing fear
• What is the fear-behavior relationship proposed by Janis and Feshbach?

  It is curvilinear, not linear
• What happens with high levels of fear arousal?

  It can lead to denial instead of behavior change
• What did Dabbs and Leventhal find about fear-arousing communications?

  They positively affected vaccination behavior
• What does the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) suggest?

  There are two routes to persuasion
• What is the central route in the ELM?

  Persuasion through detailed message processing
• What is the peripheral route in the ELM?

  Persuasion through factors other than content
• What determines which route is used in the ELM?

  Relevance of the message and need for cognition
• How does need for cognition (NFC) affect persuasion?

  High NFC individuals process messages centrally
• What is a strength of the ELM in health campaigns?

  It suggests using both central and peripheral routes
• What is a weakness of the ELM?

  It lacks an underlying theory of psychological processes
• What does the ELM propose about the complexity of persuasion?

  Many factors influence the choice of processing route
• How does Sarah's background influence her drinking behavior?

  She learned drinking was normal in her family
• What did Sarah's GP suggest for her drinking problem?

  Counseling and support meetings
• What is the peripheral route in the context of Sarah's situation?

  Persuasion through superficial factors, not content
• What does the ELM suggest about Sarah's processing of her GP's advice?

  She may use both central and peripheral routes