FF:PSX_112 Persuasion - Course Information

PSX_112 Persuasion

Extent and Intensity

2/2. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).

Teacher(s)

PhDr. Stanislav Gálik (lecturer)
PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)

Guaranteed by

PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts

Prerequisites

SOUHLAS
Intermediate and higher levels of English language skills are required.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is offered to students of any study field.

Course objectives

Student will learn:  The theory of persuasion and its practical applications  To apply the theory of persuasion  To think about the communication in the new ways and to apply advanced persuasion techniques  To discover manipulation of others and to resist more easily  To use acquired psychological knowledge in communication process

Syllabus

• 1. Introduction to persuasion Persuasion fundamentals. Definition. Ethics. Historical perspectives (Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, sophists, Machiavelli, Martin Luther King, World War II and propaganda, Barack Obama, advertisement in 20th and 21st century)
• 2. Attitude and attitude change Attitudes. Tripartite model. Attitude measurement (Likert scale, Semantic differential). Functional approach to attitudes (utilitarian, ego-defensive, value-expressive, knowledge). Implicit attitudes. Attitude-behavior consistency.
• 3. Attitude change I. Summative model – beliefs and values (Fishbein). Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein, Ajzen). Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen). Modeling, reinforcing and change of attitudes. Social Judgment Theory (Sherif) – latitude of acceptance, latitude of rejection. Attitude accessibility.
• 4. Attitude change II. Elaboration Likelihood model – central and peripheral routes to persuasion. Heuristic-systematic model. Classical conditioning. Emotional and logical arguments.
• 5. Source factors Credibility - expertise, trustworthiness (knowledge bias, reporting bias), physical attractiveness, liking, similarity, closeness. Mere exposure effect. Sleeper effect. Empathy.
• 6. Message factors Subliminal perception. Supraliminal advertising. Guilt and fear appeal. Boomerang effect. Wording and vocabulary. Inoculation theory. Priming. Framing. Narrative approach. Sensation transference. Touch transference.
• 7. Recipient factors Self-monitoring. Cognitive dissonance theory. Self-fulfilling prophecy. Selective exposition. Selective attention. Selective perception. Selective retention.
• 8. Universal principles of persuasion I. Reciprocity. Commitment and consistency. Social proof. Contrast effect. Mental shortcuts. Face-in-the-door-technique. Foot-in-the-door-technique. Low-balling. Informational social influence. Automatic and reasoned actions.
• 9. Universal principles of persuasion II. Liking. Scarcity. Authority. Milgram study. Stanford prison experiment. Psychological Reactance Theory (Brehm).
• 10. Media effects and advertising Theory of hypodermic needle. Agenda setting (McCombs, Shaw). Cultivation analysis (Gerbner). Spiral of silence (Noelle-Neumann). Two- and multi-step model of communication. Opinion leaders. Diffusion of innovations (Rogers). Fashion-permission complex (Godin). Humor and sex in advertising.
• 11. Persuasion and nonverbal communication Haptics, proxemics, kinesic, paralanguage.
• 12. Persuasion in society Political persuasion. Political communication. Neuromarketing. Contemporary global problems and applications of persuasion theories. Culture and persuasion.

Literature

• Náhradní obsah: Levitt, S. D., & Dubner, S. J. (2005). Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything. New York: HarperCollins.
• Náhradní obsah: Festinger, L., Riecken, H. W., & Schachter, S. (1956). When Prophecy Fails. New York: Harper & Row
• Náhradní obsah: Dolinski, D., Nawrat, M., & Rudak, I. (2001). Dialogue Involvement as a Social Influence Technique. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 27, 1395-1406.
• Náhradní obsah: Cialdini, R. B., Wosinska, W., Barrett, D. W., Butner, J., & Gornik-Durose, M. (1999). Compliance with a request in two cultures: The Differential Influence of Social Proof and
• Náhradní obsah: Wosinska, W., Cialdini, R. B., Barrett, D. W., & Reykowski, J. (2001). The Practice od Social Influence in Multiple Cultures. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Náhradní obsah: Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2005). Social Psychology. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
• Náhradní obsah: Gladwell, M. (2000). The Tipping Point : How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
• Náhradní obsah: Cialdini, R. B. (2009). Influence: science and practice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• Náhradní obsah: Pratkanis, A. R., & Aronson, E. (2001). Age of Propaganda : The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion. New York: W. H. Freeman / Owl Books.
• Náhradní obsah: Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. V L. Berkowitz, Advances in experimental social psychology (Sv. 19, stránky 123-205). New York: Academic Press.
• Náhradní obsah: Gladwell, M. (2005). Blink : the power of thinking without thinking. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
• Náhradní obsah: Crano, W. D., & Prislin, R. (2008). Attitudes and Attitude Change. New York: Psychology Press.
• Náhradní obsah: Perloff, R. M. (2008). The Dynamics of Persuasion. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

Teaching methods

The class consists of lecture and seminar. The seminar is focused on the practical applications of social-psychological phenomena. Students also participate in the interactive activities where they can observe these phenomena.

Assessment methods

All students are required to pass all exams and assignments. All requirements are evaluated as Pass/Fail. You are required to acquire minimum 60% of points from graded assignments and 70% of points from individual and group exam combined. Failed exam or assignment result in the end-of-semester oral exam.
1) Assignment #1
2) Individual and group exam #1
4) Assignment #2
5) Individual and group exam #2
7) Final presentation
8) Attendance
Assignments
Students will receive 3 questions at the end of the class. They are required to answer the questions and send the answers back to instructor’s email within next 48 hours. The question will be aimed at applications of the key concepts and theories discussed in the class. Each answer should have 80 – 150 words.
Individual and group exams
Students are required to answer the questions in multiple choice exams. There might be some exceptions in the type of the answer. After the individual exam, students will create small groups and work on the group exam. This will provide an excellent experience of cooperation and collective responsibility for knowledge.
Presentation „Spread your passion“
Each student will create a presentation for 3 – 6 minutes. It’s very easy! Simply, tell us anything you are passionate about. Spread the ideas and thoughts that are worth of spreading. The only content requirement is that your presentation has to „give“ us something: teach us, make us laugh, make us think! Pick ANYTHING that YOU are REALLY passionate about. (To illustrate truly broad variety of possible topics: The effect of The Simpsons on perception of American culture. How to buy the best ham. My dad. Application of cognitive dissonance in international negotiations. History of baseball bat. Abortions – Yes or no? Marihuana legalization. etc.)
Attendance
Student is required to attend minimum 60 % of classes. You are also expected to be active, to contribute to discusion, to provide opinions and ideas, to agree, or to disagree. You should look happy to attend the class. Sleeping, distracting other students or focus on the other activities will result in points deduction.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught each semester.
The course is taught: every other week.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 1 x 14 dní 2/2.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2017, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2017/PSX_112