The Art & The Science
 Can you think of times when the media or
attractive communicator changed your mind
about something?
PERSUASION vs. COERCION
 Persuasion: a symbolic process in which
communicators try to convince other people
to change their attitudes or behavior
regarding an issue through transmission of a
message, in an atmosphere of free choice.
(Perloff, 2008)
 Persuasion is a symbolic process
 Persuasion involves an attempt to influence
 People persuade themselves
 Persuasion involves the transmission of a message
 Persuasion requires free choice
 Coercion: a technique for forcing people to
act as the coercer wants them to act, and
presumably contrary to their own
preferences. It typically employs a threat of
some horrible consequence if the person
does not do what the coercer demands.
(Perloff, 2008)
 Coercion and persuasion are not polar opposites.They are better
viewed as lying along a continuum of social influence.They are
overlapping concepts.
Persuasion:
* Advertising
* Loved one's antidrug appeal
* Health public service messages
* Political campaigns
* Sales and telemarketing
* Friend's attempt to influence
another's opinion of something
Coercion:
* Threatening messages
* Employer's directives
* Interrogation
* Ban of smoking
* Enforcement of seat belt laws
* Communication in dangerously
abusive relationship
persuasion coercion
Nature of psychological threat
Ability to do otherwise
Perception of free choice
persuasion coercionNature of psychological threat
Ability to do otherwise
Perception of free choice
http://www.heavensgate.com/
 Persuasion: a symbolic process in which
communicators try to convince other people
to change their attitudes or behavior
regarding an issue through transmission of a
message, in an atmosphere of free choice.
(Perloff, 2008)
 Attitude SHAPING
 stimulating favorable impressions
 Unknown political candidates; new brand; new company; first
date, etc.
 Attitude REINFORCING
 making impressions more salient
 Political campaigns; reinforcing the image of the brand, etc.
 Attitude CHANGING
 Change of "direction"
 Antismoking campaign, African-American Civil Rights
Movement, etc.
"Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it."
 Argued that both had a point:
Plato - the truth is important.
Sophists - persuasive communication is a useful
and important tool.
 Ethos = the nature of communicator
 Pathos = emotional state of audience
 Logos = message arguments
WRITE DOWN:
 What are the factors of ethical persuasion?
 Write down three examples of ethical
persuasive communication and unethical
persuasive communication.
 Kant ­ "treat other as ends, not as means"
 Utilitarianism ­ actions should be judged based on whether
they produce more good than evil.
Gandhi Machiavelli
"evil means produce evil ends" "the ends justify the means"
 Persuasion is profoundly civilizing influence.
Of course, persuasion is not always nice. It
can be mean, ugly and untruthful.
BUTWE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
DECISIONSWE MAKE!
EDUCATION
 Persuasion
 Coercion
 Propaganda
 Persuasive communication effects
 Historical perspective
 Ethics