1st assignment-
Table 7.1 in your textbook highlights various techniques used in persuasive messaging, including foot-in-the door, low-ball, door-in-the face, reciprocity, etc. After examining all the techniques, choose three to address in your discussion. For each of the three, describe the processes involved, and explain why such techniques are successful in persuading certain audiences, but are likely to fail with others. In addition, examine the overall resistance to persuasion. Although they may be undesirable, are we more vulnerable to these messages than we think?
Table 7.1 Persuasion techniques: Definitions and examples
|
Technique
|
Definition
|
Example
|
|
Foot-in- the-door
|
An Initial small request Is made and accepted. A large request, the target request, is then made.
|
You are asked to sign a petition to support blood donation. After you sign, you are asked to donate blood.
|
|
Lowball
|
An initial request, the target request, Is made, but only later are the full costs are revealed.
|
You are asked to volunteer 20 minutes of your time. Only later is it revealed that the time will involve blood
donation, with accompanying needles and slight pain.
|
|
Legitimization- of-paltry-
favors
|
Small favors are described as acceptable, although not desired.
|
A small donation to support blood drives, just 25 cents, Is acceptable, although a larger donation would be appreciated.
|
|
Redprocky
|
A request Is made after a gih has been glven
|
After receiving a cookie you are asked If you would be willing to donate blood.
|
|
Door-In-
the-face
|
A large request is made and refused. Then the target request Is made.
|
You are asked if you could volunteer 2 hours a week for the next year. When you refuse, you are asked if you could spend Just a half hour now donating blood.
|
|
That's-not-all
|
A large request is made, but before the individual can refuse additional Incentives are added.
|
You are asked to donate blood, but before you say no you are told you will get a cookie and a sticker and your name will be published in the paper.
|
|
Scarcity
|
Products or opportunities are presented as being limited In number or as only available for a limited time.
|
The blood bank tells you the special post-donation cookies are only available today for the first 20 people who give blood.
|
|
Pique
|
Attention is disrupted by an oddly framed request
|
You are asked If you want to save the lives of three children today.
|
|
Disrupt-then- reframe
|
An unusual request Is made and then framed in a positive way.
|
When asked to give blood you are told It will only take 3,600 seconds, a very short time to give.
|
2nd assignment-
By most definitions, if we are persuaded by an individual, we are said to be obedient to that individual. If we are persuaded by a group, we are said to have conformed to that group's objectives. Compare and contrast the core differences between these two concepts. In what ways do group and individual persuasion techniques differ? As social beings, why are we naturally prone to conformity and obedience?
For this discussion, please review Solomon Asch's (1958) study of conformity. The results of this study, demonstrate how many of the individual participants conformed to the group despite the fact that the group was clearly wrong, and the individuals were clearly right. In addition, watch the video on the ABC New Primetime: Milgram Experiment Update video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwqNP9HRy7Y&feature=youtu.be) Through this experiment we observe how perceptions of authority directly influence obedience. For example, even when the action ordered by the authority figure caused physical harm, the participants were still obedient. What are some explanations for this type of behavior? Can you think of an example of when you disregarded your own desires or values for the sake of obedience or conformity.