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University of Florida, CJC Online, Mass Communication Theory, MMC6400.
"Thinking is the hardest work anyone can do," Henry Ford, My Life & Work (1922)
Thinking takes time and energy. Imagine critically analyzing every choice we make? We’d never get anything done!
Our decision-making "auto-pilot" can be helpful. It keeps us on track, unconsciously navigating our daily routine. But how often do we stop to weigh a decision's pros and cons? Alternatively, how many persuasive messages do we allow to prey on our emotions?
Researchers suggest that two factors promote logical choices: motivation and ability.
Motivation is influenced by relevance. Does the topic impact you? Or is the message wholly unconnected to your life?
Ability defines the audience’s capacity to understand. Is the message familiar? Is the language easy to read or hear?
In the absence of motivation and ability, audiences become distracted or lose interest. The decision-making process clicks into cruise control, allowing other influences access to the driver’s seat.
Why are we so easily distracted? A person's attention drifts when they feel sleepy, cold, too hot, hungry, anxious about an important phone call, worried about an upcoming test, or uncomfortable sitting on a lecture hall chair.
“Your brain can only absorb as much as your butt can endure,” Dr. Ron Thomas Jr.
To further tax our state of mind, in 2021 the average American is bombarded by more than 5,000 advertisements every day: Facebook & Youtube ads, television streaming ads, in-game ads, Twitter & Instagram, emails, Google banners, product placement & packaging, billboards, mail order catalogs, radio, newspapers, and even our co-workers and children.
Our lives are overwhelmed by constant messaging! Persuasion is an inescapable part of our lives.
How do we decide:
What food is safe for our family?
Where to purchase a new car?
How to order products online?
Which shows to watch?
When to donate money?
Who to vote for in a political election?
Theorists have created models to help explain how our decision-making process works.
The Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty and Cacioppo, 1986), is one of the most frequently used persuasion models. The theory explains how a person’s behaviors are influenced through two different pathways: Central and Peripheral. This Dual Route Model is also called "ELM".
Elaboration In this context, the word elaboration means the effort someone devotes to thoughtfully analyzing, understanding and remembering a message. The amount of effort determines which path the message takes.
Example: Central Route
Family Guy
Central route processing occurs when the audience has both motivation and the ability to evaluate the topic. These attitudes and behaviors tend to be long-term and lasting.
Example: Peripheral Route of Persuasion
“Maddie” 2014 Chevy Commercial
Peripheral route processing is based on superficial factors such as authority, pleasing visuals, analogies to food & sex, or the use of humor. These tactics prey on emotions, resulting in short-term or temporary attitude changes.
Applying a Dual Route Approach
To illustrate how an ELM dual approach works, let’s look at the Local 802 AFM's Emergency Relief Fund (802 ERF). Fund promoters want to persuade both affiliated union members and non-members to donate through the fund's website.
How can we apply both central and peripheral route tactics to make this Fund Drive a success?
Central Route:
Offer credible information to promote serious elaborate on the appeal.
Detail how dollars will directly benefit musicians.
Write easy-to-read, scannable content.
Provide audio/video testimonials.
Recruit a famous musician spokesperson.
Emphasize the spokesperson's personal investment in the Fund Drive.
The central route focuses on message content: information and language. Is your message clear? Are you telling people exactly why your fund drive is relevant to their lives? Are your points easily understood?
Peripheral Route:
Post an appreciation page, publicly thanking donors.
Encourage engagement by promoting donors with social media shout-outs.
Target emotional appeal by highlighting recipients and telling their stories.
Ensure ease of use. Transactions should load & process quickly.
Have multiple donation methods readily available with clear calls to action.
Offer limited-time access to a live-stream concert or dinner banquet.
The peripheral route focuses on design & delivery.
Design: visual impact, simplicity, navigation, user interface. Are you guiding people to the actions you want them to take? Is your design easy to navigate?
Delivery: load time, user experience, rewards. Does your design encourage engagement? Do you offer actionable, time-limited rewards and acknowledgment?
Central Route or Peripheral Route?
Like our two favorite Star Trek characters, we each make decisions through our chosen paths. For Spock, logical deduction follows the central route of elaboration. For Captain James T. Kirk, quick action and human emotions often prevail, leading him down the peripheral route.
Both paths result in success, but they are most powerful when used together.
Why not use both?
Ultimately, people process information by both methods. Both paths can be used to complement each other, creating a solid persuasive technique. If you want audiences to pay attention to your message, make your appeal directly relevant to their lives, easy to understand, and emotionally appealing.
Questions
How much time do you spend thinking about daily choices?
Do you prefer to make decisions quickly or do you spend hours on research?
Which persuasive route had the most impact on the last decision you made?
Share your thoughts.
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