Posted: January 6th, 2014
Techniques used in persuasive messaging
Table 8.1 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 8.1 Persuasion Techniques: Definitions and Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
| Technique | Definition | Example |
| Foot-in-the-door | An initial small request is made andaccepted. A large request, the targetrequest, is then made. | You are asked to sign a petition to support blooddonation. After you sign, you are asked to donateblood. |
| Low-ball | An initial request, the target request,is made, but only later are the fullcosts revealed. | You are asked to volunteer 20 minutes of your time.Only later is it revealed that the time will involve blooddonation, with accompanying needles and slight pain. |
| Legitimization-of-paltry-favors | Small favors are described asacceptable, although not d esired. |
A small donation to support blood donation, just$0.25, is acceptable, although a larger donationwould be appreciated. |
| Reciprocity | A request is made after a gift hasbeen given. | After receiving a cookie you are asked if you would bewilling 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 weekfor the next year. When you refuse, you are asked ifyou could spend just a half hour now donating blood. |
| That’s-not-all | A large request is made, but beforethe individual can refuse additionalincentives are added. | You are asked to donate blood, but before you say noyou are told you will get a cookie and a sticker andyour name will be published in the paper. |
| Scarcity | A potential customer is told that anitem will be at a certain price for alimited time, or that there is a limited supply. | On “Black Friday” a big box store offers TVs at halfprice but only until 10 a.m. |
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