Current Theories of Persuasion and Resistance
Deadline campaign (group assignment) is 26/10
Deadline final assignment 2/11
WEEK 36
KENNISKLIP - ‘What is resistance to infl uence?’
Persuasion and resistance go hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other.
Techniques can be applied to decrease or increase resistance, depending on your goal.
Three types of resistance: (1) Affective [Reactance, very much focused on the sender]: I
don’t like it (2) Cognitive [Scepticism, focused on the message]: I don’t believe it, and (3)
Behavioural [Inertia, believe you but not doing it, most difficult type to change]: I don’t do it.
KENNISCLIP - ‘The diff erence between alpha and omega strategies’
Alpha = influence techniques that make the product more attractive. Using celebrities makes
the product more desirable. Mere exposure, repeating product several times makes it more
attractive. And trustworthy face use.
Omega = meant to decrease the resistance response. Planning ahead, that they should buy
the product within the next period of time. Pitch. Giving guarantees, you can give it back if
you don’t like it. Give them a choice between multiple products.
Increase approach motivation or decrease avoidance?
LITERATUUR - Knowles, E. S., & Linn, J. A. (2004). The importance of resistance to
persuasion. In E. S. Knowles & J. A. Linn (Eds.), Resistance and Persuasion. Mahwah,
New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (pp. 3-9).
Resistance hounds persuasion the way friction frustrates motion.
Psychological resistance is a broad term, with a long and varied history, that refers to a
variety of specific events. Term has been used to refer to the noncompliance with a directive,
a desire to counteract someone else’s attempt to limit one’s choices, unwillingness to
achieve insight about the real nature of one’s thoughts or feelings, avoidance of unpleasant
or dangerous feelings, or the feeling of ambivalence about change.
Resistance to persuasion is familiar to anyone who has offered advice or counselling,
delivered a sales pitch, or tried to enlist others in a plan of action.
The clear core is that is a reaction against change! Becomes evident in the presence of
some pressure for change.
McGuire resistance to persuasion = ability to withstand a persuasive attack. He was
primarily interested in increasing people’s ability to resist unwanted influence. His inoculation
strategies increased resistance in two ways: (1) By increasing motivation to resist (2) By
arming the person with the weapons needed to accomplish the resistance.
Focusing resistance and providing success experiences at resisting illegitimate sources frees
the trained participant to be more receptive to other, perhaps more appropriate and useful
persuasion.
,Resistance has acquired a dual definition in psychology: (1) Defines an outcome: not being
moved by pressures to change & (2) Identifies motivational state: motivation to oppose and
counter pressures to change.
Defining resistance as a motivational desire raises issues. Motivations to oppose may not
result in behavioural resistance. To some extent the outcome and motivational definitions are
theoretically linked. A motivation to oppose would promote the outcome of not changing.
However, the two definitions are also not completely overlapping.
1. Affective
I don’t like it!
2. Cognitive
I don’t believe it!
3. Behavioural
I won’t do it!
Although resistance is a response to pressures for change, the source of resistance is
sometimes attributed more to the person, and sometimes it is attributed more to the situation.
As a stable quality of the person, resistance lies in wait, a potential response always ready to
be enacted if needed.
Reactance is caused by external threats to one’s freedom of choice. When someone sense
that someone else is limiting their freedom of choice, an uncomfortable state of reactance
results, creating motivation to reassert that freedom.
Two sets of factors determine the amount of reactance: (1) Freedoms that are threatened
(the more numerous and important the freedoms, the greater the reactance to losing them)
and (2) Nature of the threat arbitrary, blatant, direct, and demanding requests will create
more reactance than legitimate, subtle, indirect, and delicate requests).
Four faces of resistance:
1. Reactance
Recognizes the influence attempt as an integral element of resistance. Only
initiated when influence is directly perceived and when it threatens a person’s
choice alternatives.
Affective & Motivational
2. Distrust
People become guarded and wary when faced with a proposal, offer, or
message to change.
Affective & Cognitive
3. Scrutiny
When people become aware that they are the target of an influence attempt, a
natural reaction is to attend more carefully and thoughtfully to every aspect of
the situation. Proposal itself.
Cognitive
4. Inertia
Quality that focuses more on staying put than on resisting change. Attempts to
keep the attitude system in balance.
,Resistance is the tug-of-war partner with persuasion. Opposing yet integral parts of
persuasive interaction. Dynamic process. Motivation and argument are the elements involved
in change.
Complex situations like persuasive messages, offers, or commands set up conflicting
motives. Like any nonlinear system, the interplay of opposing forces can yield interesting,
unexpected, and sometimes paradoxical consequences.
Simply acknowledging resistance goes part way to reducing it, raising reactance to a
message makes a strong message more persuasive, training people to identify illegitimate
sources of information makes them more persuaded by legitimate sources, putting
arguments into a narrative rather than message increases their influence, and affirming the
target seems to reduce resistance to persuasion in general.
LITERATUUR - Knowles, E. S. & Linn, J. A. (2004). Approach-avoidance model of
persuasion: Alpha and omega strategies for change. In E. Knowles & J.A. Linn (Eds.),
Resistance and Persuasion. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Publishers (pp. 117-148).
Persuasion is among the oldest of human experiences. The lubricant of social organization,
medium of interpersonal coordination.
Approach-avoidance model of attitudes and judgements. Explores ramifications for change
and persuasion strategies.
Alpha Attempt to persuade by increasing approach forces. Offer or message can be made
more attractive by adding incentives, creating more convincing reasons, finding more
credible sources, and so on.
Omega Attempt to persuade by decreasing avoidance forces. Work by removing or
disengaging someone’s reluctance to change.
1. Goals, attitude objects, offers, and opinions are complex stimuli that engage multiple
motives.
2. Some of these motives are approach motives, pushing opinions and behaviours
toward the goal. Others of these motives are avoidance motives, pushing opinions
and behaviours away from the goal.
3. When the approach forces are greater in total strength or salience than the avoidance
forces, then there is movement toward the goal. But when the approach forces are
less compelling than the avoidance forces, then there is no movement toward the
goal and perhaps even movement in the opposite direction.
4. To persuade or foster movement toward a goal, a change agent may increase
approach forces or decrease avoidance forces.
Two different ways to create change / Two different strategies:
1 ALPHA: promote change by activating the approach forces / increasing motivation to
move toward goal.
2 OMEGA: promote change by minimizing avoidance forces / reducing motivation to move
away from goal.
Type 1 : Sidestepping strategies that work by avoiding or minimizing resistance.
Type 2 : Address resistance directly. Attempt to identify the nature of resistance and
then intervene to change that resistance. 1. Counterarguing the resistance 2.
Guarantee.
Type 3 : Address resistance indirectly, by taking away the need to be resistant.
, Type 4 : Distract the recipient while they are receiving a message. Distractions.
Type 5 : Small disruptions in the message, disruptions that bring attention back to the
message.
Type 6 : Attempt to consumer resistance, that is, to reduce resistance by using it up.
Type 7 : Paradoxical strategies that seem to turn resistance against itself.
The simplest models can have rich lessons. Offers, messages, advertisements, commands,
requests, or other opportunities for compliance, persuasion, or attitude change are
psychologically complex events, engaging multiple and usually conflicting motives.
The resulting behaviour depends on which motivational direction is strongest.
Two ways to promote change: Alpha and Omega.
Deadline campaign (group assignment) is 26/10
Deadline final assignment 2/11
WEEK 36
KENNISKLIP - ‘What is resistance to infl uence?’
Persuasion and resistance go hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other.
Techniques can be applied to decrease or increase resistance, depending on your goal.
Three types of resistance: (1) Affective [Reactance, very much focused on the sender]: I
don’t like it (2) Cognitive [Scepticism, focused on the message]: I don’t believe it, and (3)
Behavioural [Inertia, believe you but not doing it, most difficult type to change]: I don’t do it.
KENNISCLIP - ‘The diff erence between alpha and omega strategies’
Alpha = influence techniques that make the product more attractive. Using celebrities makes
the product more desirable. Mere exposure, repeating product several times makes it more
attractive. And trustworthy face use.
Omega = meant to decrease the resistance response. Planning ahead, that they should buy
the product within the next period of time. Pitch. Giving guarantees, you can give it back if
you don’t like it. Give them a choice between multiple products.
Increase approach motivation or decrease avoidance?
LITERATUUR - Knowles, E. S., & Linn, J. A. (2004). The importance of resistance to
persuasion. In E. S. Knowles & J. A. Linn (Eds.), Resistance and Persuasion. Mahwah,
New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (pp. 3-9).
Resistance hounds persuasion the way friction frustrates motion.
Psychological resistance is a broad term, with a long and varied history, that refers to a
variety of specific events. Term has been used to refer to the noncompliance with a directive,
a desire to counteract someone else’s attempt to limit one’s choices, unwillingness to
achieve insight about the real nature of one’s thoughts or feelings, avoidance of unpleasant
or dangerous feelings, or the feeling of ambivalence about change.
Resistance to persuasion is familiar to anyone who has offered advice or counselling,
delivered a sales pitch, or tried to enlist others in a plan of action.
The clear core is that is a reaction against change! Becomes evident in the presence of
some pressure for change.
McGuire resistance to persuasion = ability to withstand a persuasive attack. He was
primarily interested in increasing people’s ability to resist unwanted influence. His inoculation
strategies increased resistance in two ways: (1) By increasing motivation to resist (2) By
arming the person with the weapons needed to accomplish the resistance.
Focusing resistance and providing success experiences at resisting illegitimate sources frees
the trained participant to be more receptive to other, perhaps more appropriate and useful
persuasion.
,Resistance has acquired a dual definition in psychology: (1) Defines an outcome: not being
moved by pressures to change & (2) Identifies motivational state: motivation to oppose and
counter pressures to change.
Defining resistance as a motivational desire raises issues. Motivations to oppose may not
result in behavioural resistance. To some extent the outcome and motivational definitions are
theoretically linked. A motivation to oppose would promote the outcome of not changing.
However, the two definitions are also not completely overlapping.
1. Affective
I don’t like it!
2. Cognitive
I don’t believe it!
3. Behavioural
I won’t do it!
Although resistance is a response to pressures for change, the source of resistance is
sometimes attributed more to the person, and sometimes it is attributed more to the situation.
As a stable quality of the person, resistance lies in wait, a potential response always ready to
be enacted if needed.
Reactance is caused by external threats to one’s freedom of choice. When someone sense
that someone else is limiting their freedom of choice, an uncomfortable state of reactance
results, creating motivation to reassert that freedom.
Two sets of factors determine the amount of reactance: (1) Freedoms that are threatened
(the more numerous and important the freedoms, the greater the reactance to losing them)
and (2) Nature of the threat arbitrary, blatant, direct, and demanding requests will create
more reactance than legitimate, subtle, indirect, and delicate requests).
Four faces of resistance:
1. Reactance
Recognizes the influence attempt as an integral element of resistance. Only
initiated when influence is directly perceived and when it threatens a person’s
choice alternatives.
Affective & Motivational
2. Distrust
People become guarded and wary when faced with a proposal, offer, or
message to change.
Affective & Cognitive
3. Scrutiny
When people become aware that they are the target of an influence attempt, a
natural reaction is to attend more carefully and thoughtfully to every aspect of
the situation. Proposal itself.
Cognitive
4. Inertia
Quality that focuses more on staying put than on resisting change. Attempts to
keep the attitude system in balance.
,Resistance is the tug-of-war partner with persuasion. Opposing yet integral parts of
persuasive interaction. Dynamic process. Motivation and argument are the elements involved
in change.
Complex situations like persuasive messages, offers, or commands set up conflicting
motives. Like any nonlinear system, the interplay of opposing forces can yield interesting,
unexpected, and sometimes paradoxical consequences.
Simply acknowledging resistance goes part way to reducing it, raising reactance to a
message makes a strong message more persuasive, training people to identify illegitimate
sources of information makes them more persuaded by legitimate sources, putting
arguments into a narrative rather than message increases their influence, and affirming the
target seems to reduce resistance to persuasion in general.
LITERATUUR - Knowles, E. S. & Linn, J. A. (2004). Approach-avoidance model of
persuasion: Alpha and omega strategies for change. In E. Knowles & J.A. Linn (Eds.),
Resistance and Persuasion. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Publishers (pp. 117-148).
Persuasion is among the oldest of human experiences. The lubricant of social organization,
medium of interpersonal coordination.
Approach-avoidance model of attitudes and judgements. Explores ramifications for change
and persuasion strategies.
Alpha Attempt to persuade by increasing approach forces. Offer or message can be made
more attractive by adding incentives, creating more convincing reasons, finding more
credible sources, and so on.
Omega Attempt to persuade by decreasing avoidance forces. Work by removing or
disengaging someone’s reluctance to change.
1. Goals, attitude objects, offers, and opinions are complex stimuli that engage multiple
motives.
2. Some of these motives are approach motives, pushing opinions and behaviours
toward the goal. Others of these motives are avoidance motives, pushing opinions
and behaviours away from the goal.
3. When the approach forces are greater in total strength or salience than the avoidance
forces, then there is movement toward the goal. But when the approach forces are
less compelling than the avoidance forces, then there is no movement toward the
goal and perhaps even movement in the opposite direction.
4. To persuade or foster movement toward a goal, a change agent may increase
approach forces or decrease avoidance forces.
Two different ways to create change / Two different strategies:
1 ALPHA: promote change by activating the approach forces / increasing motivation to
move toward goal.
2 OMEGA: promote change by minimizing avoidance forces / reducing motivation to move
away from goal.
Type 1 : Sidestepping strategies that work by avoiding or minimizing resistance.
Type 2 : Address resistance directly. Attempt to identify the nature of resistance and
then intervene to change that resistance. 1. Counterarguing the resistance 2.
Guarantee.
Type 3 : Address resistance indirectly, by taking away the need to be resistant.
, Type 4 : Distract the recipient while they are receiving a message. Distractions.
Type 5 : Small disruptions in the message, disruptions that bring attention back to the
message.
Type 6 : Attempt to consumer resistance, that is, to reduce resistance by using it up.
Type 7 : Paradoxical strategies that seem to turn resistance against itself.
The simplest models can have rich lessons. Offers, messages, advertisements, commands,
requests, or other opportunities for compliance, persuasion, or attitude change are
psychologically complex events, engaging multiple and usually conflicting motives.
The resulting behaviour depends on which motivational direction is strongest.
Two ways to promote change: Alpha and Omega.
