Elaboration Likelihood Model
The power of persuasion happens internally. If a person trusts you and you give them an appealing and convincing argument backed with facts and expressing emotion, chances are you will be able to persuade that person or audience.
This brings us to the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which states that there are two routes through which information is processed that can lead to attitudes being changed. This all depends on how the active audience member processes the information. Most of the time, it can lead to a shift in attitude or behaviors, and if it does, this means the information was actively processed by the individual and they evaluated the situation in a rational manner. The model also tries to explain the way in which attitudes are formed and how they can be changed through two routes.
1. The central route: “where the information is actively processed and the individual evaluates it in a rational manner” (Rosenberry & Vicker, 2017).
2. The peripheral route: “where the receiver does not actively process the information in a cognitive sense but instead relies on peripheral cues, such as the style of a message, the credibility of the source, her own mood, etc.” (Rosenberry & Vicker, 2017). These message characteristics include how well-thought-out the message is, how well written it is. They also take into account the physical environment, where the speakers come from, or the current venue, as well as target characteristics, characteristics of the listener who is receiving the message.
If you are able to persuade your readers, they will follow through with a call to action. You have probably changed their behavior, but only until another convincing argument comes along. In order to give persuasive appeals, one has to motivate the audience. Make that user feel directly affected by a topic, which will make them more likely to process a message, specifically through message, design, and delivery (Yocco, 2014). Being persuasive requires a conscious effort; one must conduct user research, incorporate the tenants of good design, and understand how persuasion works to help you appeal to more users through both central peripheral processing routes, although both are often used in combination one way or another (Yocco, 2014).
Sources:
Evans, V. (2021). Mass Communication Theory. Lecture.
