Course Introduction

COMM 14 Persuasion in the Social

Sphere

WHO IS JASON WRENCH?

1) Where is Jason’s home town?2) What kind of car does he drive?3) How old is he?

4) What political party does he belong?

5) What is his favorite movie?

6) What were his previous jobs?7) What is his favorite soft drink?8) What is his preferred religious affiliation?

COURSE GOALS

1) Introduce theories of persuasion.2) Apply theory to the real world.3) Show how persuasive messages are created.4) Discuss how persuasion should be used ethically.

PERSUASION IS A TOOL!!!

WHY STUDY

PERSUASION?

1) Pervasive Function

You see over 3,000 Advertising messages per day.- Dr. Jean Kilbourne

$200 Billion on Advertising

1) $250,000 to make a commercial

2) $250,000 to air a commercial

3) $1 Million to air a commercial during the Academy Awards

4) $1.5 Million to air a commercial during the Super bowl (Victoria’s Secret)

2) Knowledge Function

1) Pervasive Function

3) Defensive Function

4) Debunking Function

UNIT ONE

CommunicationFoundations

Communication

Defined

The process by which one or more persons stimulates meaning in the mind of another by means of verbal or nonverbal messages.

The Communication Process: Parts of the Process

B. Message

A. Source

C. Channel

D. Receiver

F. Encoding

E. Feedback

G. Decoding

H. Noise

Source Message Channel Receiver

(Decoding)

Feedbac

k(Encoding)

NOISE

Types of

Communication

B. Expressive Communication

A. Accidental Communication

C. Rhetorical Communication

Rhetorical Communication

The process of a source stimulating a source-selected meaning in the mind of a receiver by means of verbal and nonverbal messages.

ImportantTerms

to Know

Informing

Communicating to influence audience understanding, but not attitudes

Thinking Question

Is it possible to have a truly informative message?

Persuasion

The process by which a source consciously uses messages to change a receiver’s attitudes, beliefs, or values

Influence

When we modify behavior without intent, using messages, or changing attitudes, beliefs, or values.

Coercion

When we bring about change in attitudes or behavior in contexts in which the receiver has not choice but to comply

Communication Goals: Receiver Responses

Basic Goals For Receivers

2) Strengthen a stance

1) Understand/Forming

3) Change an attitude

Understanding: gaining a belief

Belief: Our understanding of something. The extent to which we think something is true.

Attitudes

A predisposition to behave in a particular way in response to something

Belief is our cognitive understanding of something.

Attitude is our affective reaction or evaluation of something (positive, negative, or neutral evaluation of what we understand)

3 Attitude Distinctions

1) Form an Attitude2) Strengthen an Attitude3) Change an Attitude