Chapter 6: Persuasion and attitude change
Attitude change = any significant modification of an individual's attitude. In the persuasion
process this involves the communicator, the communication, the medium used and the
characteristics of the audience. Attitude change can also occur by inducing someone to
perform an act that runs counter to an existing attitude.
Cognitive dissonance = state of psychological tension produced by simultaneously having
two opposing cognitions.
Persuasive communication = message intended to change an attitude and related
behaviors of an audience.
3 variables involved in persuasion:
1. the communicator or the source (who)
2. the communication or message (what)
3. the audience (to whom)
→ 4 steps in persuasion process: attention, comprehension, acceptance and retention
Source = the point of origin of persuasive communication.
Message = communication from a source directed to an audience.
Audience = intended target of persuasive communication.
Third-person effect = most people think that they’re less influenced than others by
advertisements.
Similarity and attractiveness are very influential in persuasion.
Moderator variable = a variable that qualifies an otherwise simple hypothesis with a view to
improving its predictive power (e.g. A causes B, but only when C (moderator) is present).
5 possibilities of persuasion with regard to age:
1. Increasing persistence, susceptibility to attitude change is high in early adulthood
but decreases gradually across the lifespan.
2. Impressionable years, core attitudes, values and beliefs are crystallized during a
period of great plasticity in early adulthood.
3. Life stages, there is high susceptibility during early adulthood and later life, but lower
susceptibility throughout middle adulthood.
4. Lifelong openness, individuals are to some extent susceptible to attitude change
throughout their lives.
5. Persistence, most of an individual’s fundamental orientations are established firmly
during pre-adult socialization, susceptibility to attitude change thereafter is low.
Other audience variables that relate to the persuasion process:
1. Prior beliefs affect persuasibility
2. Cognitive biases are important in both attitude formation and change
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Attitude change = any significant modification of an individual's attitude. In the persuasion
process this involves the communicator, the communication, the medium used and the
characteristics of the audience. Attitude change can also occur by inducing someone to
perform an act that runs counter to an existing attitude.
Cognitive dissonance = state of psychological tension produced by simultaneously having
two opposing cognitions.
Persuasive communication = message intended to change an attitude and related
behaviors of an audience.
3 variables involved in persuasion:
1. the communicator or the source (who)
2. the communication or message (what)
3. the audience (to whom)
→ 4 steps in persuasion process: attention, comprehension, acceptance and retention
Source = the point of origin of persuasive communication.
Message = communication from a source directed to an audience.
Audience = intended target of persuasive communication.
Third-person effect = most people think that they’re less influenced than others by
advertisements.
Similarity and attractiveness are very influential in persuasion.
Moderator variable = a variable that qualifies an otherwise simple hypothesis with a view to
improving its predictive power (e.g. A causes B, but only when C (moderator) is present).
5 possibilities of persuasion with regard to age:
1. Increasing persistence, susceptibility to attitude change is high in early adulthood
but decreases gradually across the lifespan.
2. Impressionable years, core attitudes, values and beliefs are crystallized during a
period of great plasticity in early adulthood.
3. Life stages, there is high susceptibility during early adulthood and later life, but lower
susceptibility throughout middle adulthood.
4. Lifelong openness, individuals are to some extent susceptible to attitude change
throughout their lives.
5. Persistence, most of an individual’s fundamental orientations are established firmly
during pre-adult socialization, susceptibility to attitude change thereafter is low.
Other audience variables that relate to the persuasion process:
1. Prior beliefs affect persuasibility
2. Cognitive biases are important in both attitude formation and change
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