These commercials for Lexus exploit this process. For the head they speak to the sum of the technology of this automobile. For the heart, its aesthetics thrum the strings (in theory at least, this car doesn't turn me on).
Dual Process Theories
The Elaboration Likelihood Method is a model of how attitudes are formed and changed. Central to this model is the "elaboration continuum", which ranges from low elaboration (low thought) to high elaboration (high thought). The ELM distinguishes between two routes to persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route.
Central route processes are those that require a great deal of thought, and therefore are likely to predominate under conditions that promote high elaboration. Central route processes involve careful scrutiny of a persuasive communication (e.g., a speech, an advertisement, etc.) to determine the merits of the arguments.
Under these conditions, a person’s unique cognitive responses to the message determine the persuasive outcome (i.e., the direction and magnitude of attitude change). So, if favorable thoughts are a result of the elaboration process, the message will most likely be accepted (i.e., an attitude congruent with the messages position will emerge), and if unfavorable thoughts are generated while considering the merits of presented arguments, the message will most likely be rejected (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). In order for the message to be centrally processed, a person must have the ability and motivation to do so.
Peripheral route processes do not involve elaboration of the message through extensive cognitive processing of the merits of the actual argument presented. These processes often rely on environmental characteristics of the message, like the perceived credibility of the source, quality of the way in which it is presented, the attractiveness of the source, or the catchy slogan that contains the message. (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986).
Attitudes formed under high elaboration are stronger (more predictive of behavior and information processing, more stable over time, more resistant to persuasion) than those formed under low elaboration.
Variables can serve multiple roles in a persuasive setting depending on other contextual factors:
- Under high elaboration, a given variable (e.g., source expertise) can either serve as an argument (“If Einstein agrees with the theory of relativity, then this is a strong reason for me to as well”) or as a biasing factor (“if an expert agrees with this position it is probably good, so let me see what else agrees with this conclusion” (at the expense of information that disagrees with it).
- Under conditions of low elaboration, a given variable can act as a peripheral cue (e.g., through the use of an “experts are always right” heuristic – note that while this is similar to the case presented above, this is a simple shortcut, and does not require the careful thought as in the Einstein example above).
- Under conditions of moderate elaboration, a given variable can serve to direct the extent of information processing (“Well, if an expert agrees with this position, I should really listen to what (s)he has to say”). Interestingly, when a variable affects elaboration, this can increase or decrease persuasion, depending on the strength of the arguments presented. If the arguments are strong, enhancing elaboration will enhance persuasion. If the arguments are weak, however, more thought will undermine persuasion.
- More recent adaptations of the ELM have added an additional role that variables can serve. They can affect the extent to which a person has confidence in, and thus trusts, their own thoughts in response to a message (self-validation role). Keeping with our source expertise example, a person may feel that “if an expert presented this information, it is probably correct, and thus I can trust that my reactions to it are informative with respect to my attitude”. Note that this role, because of its metacognitive nature, only occurs under conditions that promote high elaboration.
The Heuristic-Systematic Model specifies two routes to persuasion: systematic processing - an analytic orientation to information processing, and heuristic processing - a more restricted mode of information processing that makes fewer demands on cognitive resources.
Systematic processing is believed to be determined by the ability and motivation of respondents to process message content.
Heuristic processing is triggered by features of the available information that enable the use of cognitive heuristics to form judgments and decisions. An example of such a heuristic is “experts can be trusted,” leading those using this processing mode to agree more with positions advocated by experts.
The HSM assumes that both modes of processing can occur simultaneously, such that when weak arguments are presented by expert sources, systematic processing will attenuate the heuristic tendency to agree with positions espoused by experts. Likewise, systematic processing can be biased by heuristic processing, in that the perceived expertise of a source may establish expectations about the validity of the arguments from this source which then bias the evaluation of those arguments.
The Automatic Activation of Attitudes is the notion that attitudes can be triggered automatically without the deliberation of the HLM or HSM. This activation is founded within one's frame of reference and cemented in their convictions. Instrumental in resisting persuasive attempts.
Source Effects
The sleeper effect works against the speaker's credibility when it's established as high since it diminishes over time. If the credbility is medium to low to begin with, as stroger arguments are offered the audience remembers the more powerful points over the previous weaker ones.
Affinity scams occur when the speaker poses as a group member to create unwarranted trust. Ponzi (pyrmaid) schemes are often very persuasive through associating the scam with credible participants.
The Pelz effect suggests that people like to be associated with those who have power or influence at high levels becasue it enhances esteem to be associated.
Message Effects
Primacy-Recency deals temporally with the timeliness of the message, what comes first and what comes last.
Message sidedness plays into predispositions on topics and then arguing away from what may have been commonly held.
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