ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD MODELRoutes to PersuasionRichard Petty, John Cacioppo

Learning Objectives Know the 2 “Routes to Persuasion”

(and their components)

Be able to explain the ELM chart

Explain how topic relevancy determines which Route will be used by the listener

Explain the role of MOTIVATION and ABILITY in determining which route will be used

Two Routes1. Central Route

Message elaboration; the path of cognitive processing that involves scrutiny of message content Message Elaboration

The extent to which a person carefully thinks about ISSUE-RELEVANT arguments contained in a persuasive argument

Two Routes1. Peripheral Route

Mental shortcut process that accepts or rejects a message based on irrelevant cues as opposed to actively thinking about the issue “click, whirr” - programmed response; autopilot

“Click, whirr” Cues1. Reciprocation2. Consistency3. Social Proof4. Liking5. Authority6. Scarcity

The LESS relevant a topic….

the MORE credibility cues

play a role.

Next Step… ABLE to think about the content?

Distractions?????

MOTIVATION AND ABILITY STRONGLY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE MESSAGE WILL BE ELABORATED ON (Central Route)

Biased Elaboration Top down thinking in which

predetermined conclusions color the supporting data

Objective Elaboration Bottom up thinking in which facts are

scrutinized without bias; seeking truth wherever it might lead.

Enhanced thinking will cause position to:1. Persist over time

2. Resist counterpersuasion

3. Predict future behavior

Power of Peripheral Cues Tangibles Rewards(i.e. food, sex,

money…) Credibility

These lack “robust persistence,Invulnerability, or link to behavior.”

For the Persuader Decide:

If the audience has the motivation and ability, be ready with solid information

If not… the packaging matters.