1
how influence comes about, what strategies and techniques are most effective and why?
W1 Influence, McGuire Matrix, Ethics
Information influence us in a very subtle way without us being aware that our opinions, preferences and
behaviors are being shaped.
● influence research
1. Plato: truth, fairness, in a form of justice
2. Aristotle: approached the process of persuasion from a scholarly perspective, argumentation studies:
using the language to persuade others
Source + recipient + content → determine the power
3. 1940s Lasswell’s model: Who —> says What —> through Which channel —> to Whom —> with What
effect
4. 1950s Hovland ‘Yale Model of Persuasion’:
Other factors such as reliability, expertise of the source also can determine how a message
affects attitudes, behavior → to retain or change?
Drawbacks:
- Recipient of info is still limited
- Not state how exactly the process works or whether its machinations affect the eventual
outcome
5. McGuire inoculation theory:
a. Presentation → attention → comprehension → yielding → retention → behaviour
b. Weak arguments: like virus, trigger a cognitive reaction which actually protects, reinforces and
helps to maintain an existing attitude
6. Greenwald cognitive response theory:
a. The way in which info is processed, and how that affects attitudes
● Ad and influence
7. AIDA model (attention, maintain interest, create desire, get action) / AIDAS (+satisfaction)
,Persuasive Communication 2
8. DAGMAR (defining advertising goals for measured advertising results)
● Criticism
- Hierarchical models: too rational and rigid
a. Behavior can happen without cognitive effort
b. Hierarchy of effects does not always hold good
- Perceive receivers of a persuasive communication
c. Active information processors
d. Own cognitive system
e. Elaboration
9. McGuire ‘Communication - persuasion matrix’
[only a framework!]
➢ Input factors
i. Source: the perceived communicator to whom the message is attributed
- source is not equal to the purported source, but the actual sender
ii. Message: the communication itself with all verbal and non verbal aspects
iii. Channel: the media through which the persuasive message is transmitted
iv. Receiver: part of the audience, at which the persuasive communication is aimed
- can also influence the persuasive process
- Is exposed to both internal and external influences
v. Target: the type of change the communication is designed to establish, its aim
➢ Output factors —> persuasive effects
,Persuasive Communication 3
i.A certain order: exposure [a prerequisite for further processing of the message
content]—> (steps) —> consolidation of behavior
ii. Steps can be skipped
➢ Function
i. IVs: Input factors can interact with DVs —> limit or strength effect
ii. DVs: output factors serve as a checklist to detect and strengthen weak points in
messages
➢ Processses don’t have to sequential
- Steps can be skipped（short-cuts → peripheral route to persuasion, need heuristics, less cognitive
effort)
- repeated (loops → central route to persuasion, more cognitive effort)
- completed in a reversed order (e.g., buy it, then form Ab, then pay attention to ad…)
➢ Fallacies and principles (McGuire,1989+slides)
1. Attenuated-effects fallacy
a. Successful influencing each output step depends on the success at the
previous steps
b. E.g.
c. Always expect small effects
2. Distant-measure fallacy
a. If the goal is to sell, don’t evaluate based upon exposure (reach) → so far away
from the real behaviour
b. Also measure additional sales that can be attributed to campaign exposure
3. Neglected-mediator fallacy
a. An input factor may increase the success at one output step, but decrease it at
another step.
b. Also take negative effects into account, cuz negative effects decrease the total
effect of the campaign.
4. Compensatory principle
, Persuasive Communication 4
a. If an input factor has a negative effect on a certain output step, this can be
compensated by more positive effect on another step.
5. Golden mean principle
a. More is not always better. Choose the golden mean (at an intermediate level)
b. E.g. a slight humorous message is more effective than no humour or lots of
humour (also works for fear)
6. Situational-weighting principle
a. An input element’s effect depends on other input elements, so always think about
the total situation/context
● Influence and ethics
- Plato: trust, fairness, a form of justice
- People are free to do what they wish with the info and so any and all influence is ethically acceptable
as long as it doesn’t involve force
- Subsconscious influence: people seem to be particularly scared of ad messages they are not aware of
- Regulation: Code of Advertising (COA)
- Ads should be legal, honest, trustful, with a sense of social responsibility, respect for the rules of
fair comepetiton
- Reflect a country’s legislation → Country specific, an artefact of the local culture
- A more global framework of ad regulation
how influence comes about, what strategies and techniques are most effective and why?
W1 Influence, McGuire Matrix, Ethics
Information influence us in a very subtle way without us being aware that our opinions, preferences and
behaviors are being shaped.
● influence research
1. Plato: truth, fairness, in a form of justice
2. Aristotle: approached the process of persuasion from a scholarly perspective, argumentation studies:
using the language to persuade others
Source + recipient + content → determine the power
3. 1940s Lasswell’s model: Who —> says What —> through Which channel —> to Whom —> with What
effect
4. 1950s Hovland ‘Yale Model of Persuasion’:
Other factors such as reliability, expertise of the source also can determine how a message
affects attitudes, behavior → to retain or change?
Drawbacks:
- Recipient of info is still limited
- Not state how exactly the process works or whether its machinations affect the eventual
outcome
5. McGuire inoculation theory:
a. Presentation → attention → comprehension → yielding → retention → behaviour
b. Weak arguments: like virus, trigger a cognitive reaction which actually protects, reinforces and
helps to maintain an existing attitude
6. Greenwald cognitive response theory:
a. The way in which info is processed, and how that affects attitudes
● Ad and influence
7. AIDA model (attention, maintain interest, create desire, get action) / AIDAS (+satisfaction)
,Persuasive Communication 2
8. DAGMAR (defining advertising goals for measured advertising results)
● Criticism
- Hierarchical models: too rational and rigid
a. Behavior can happen without cognitive effort
b. Hierarchy of effects does not always hold good
- Perceive receivers of a persuasive communication
c. Active information processors
d. Own cognitive system
e. Elaboration
9. McGuire ‘Communication - persuasion matrix’
[only a framework!]
➢ Input factors
i. Source: the perceived communicator to whom the message is attributed
- source is not equal to the purported source, but the actual sender
ii. Message: the communication itself with all verbal and non verbal aspects
iii. Channel: the media through which the persuasive message is transmitted
iv. Receiver: part of the audience, at which the persuasive communication is aimed
- can also influence the persuasive process
- Is exposed to both internal and external influences
v. Target: the type of change the communication is designed to establish, its aim
➢ Output factors —> persuasive effects
,Persuasive Communication 3
i.A certain order: exposure [a prerequisite for further processing of the message
content]—> (steps) —> consolidation of behavior
ii. Steps can be skipped
➢ Function
i. IVs: Input factors can interact with DVs —> limit or strength effect
ii. DVs: output factors serve as a checklist to detect and strengthen weak points in
messages
➢ Processses don’t have to sequential
- Steps can be skipped（short-cuts → peripheral route to persuasion, need heuristics, less cognitive
effort)
- repeated (loops → central route to persuasion, more cognitive effort)
- completed in a reversed order (e.g., buy it, then form Ab, then pay attention to ad…)
➢ Fallacies and principles (McGuire,1989+slides)
1. Attenuated-effects fallacy
a. Successful influencing each output step depends on the success at the
previous steps
b. E.g.
c. Always expect small effects
2. Distant-measure fallacy
a. If the goal is to sell, don’t evaluate based upon exposure (reach) → so far away
from the real behaviour
b. Also measure additional sales that can be attributed to campaign exposure
3. Neglected-mediator fallacy
a. An input factor may increase the success at one output step, but decrease it at
another step.
b. Also take negative effects into account, cuz negative effects decrease the total
effect of the campaign.
4. Compensatory principle
, Persuasive Communication 4
a. If an input factor has a negative effect on a certain output step, this can be
compensated by more positive effect on another step.
5. Golden mean principle
a. More is not always better. Choose the golden mean (at an intermediate level)
b. E.g. a slight humorous message is more effective than no humour or lots of
humour (also works for fear)
6. Situational-weighting principle
a. An input element’s effect depends on other input elements, so always think about
the total situation/context
● Influence and ethics
- Plato: trust, fairness, a form of justice
- People are free to do what they wish with the info and so any and all influence is ethically acceptable
as long as it doesn’t involve force
- Subsconscious influence: people seem to be particularly scared of ad messages they are not aware of
- Regulation: Code of Advertising (COA)
- Ads should be legal, honest, trustful, with a sense of social responsibility, respect for the rules of
fair comepetiton
- Reflect a country’s legislation → Country specific, an artefact of the local culture
- A more global framework of ad regulation
