Ugly smokes and the psychology of persuasion
By now, many have seen the new cigarette packs bearing graphic images of people with ailments caused by tobacco use. Since March 25, color photos depicting stained and misshapen teeth, diseased lungs, breathing tubes, and other gruesome smoking-related diseases and deformities have been required on all cigarette packs sold in the Kingdom.
The intent of this move, of course, is to remind smokers of the cosmetic and health risks of smoking, and presumably discourage some from engaging in this noxious habit. Psychologists use the term “persuasion” to characterize messages like these, which are intended to influence people’s attitudes and behavior. Because persuasion is so prevalent in contemporary life, we might not always be attuned to its presence.
One common form of persuasion, the television commercial has long been a mainstay of our popular culture, enticing us to favor one product over its competitors. Advertising billboards clutter our urban landscapes with words and images intended to persuade onlookers to adopt the latest fashion or consume the hippest beverage. During election campaigns, posters bearing the solemn faces of the Thai political elite sprout like mushrooms after a monsoon rain. E-marketers and scamsters litter our inboxes with spam, hoping to pique our interest in elaborate schemes to transfer large sums of money from Nigeria, or convince us that certain parts of our anatomy are in dire need of artificial enhancement.
You might try to escape the onslaught of persuasion by retreating to the local beaches. There, too, vendors and hawkers regularly approach, offering an endless variety of products and services; belts, hammocks, pendants, watches, lighters, fabrics, or a relaxing seaside massage and manicure. If you are male, try walking down Pattaya’s Soi Six to experience a variety of persuasion that is particularly enticing. Even friends, coworkers, and family members attempt to influence our attitudes and actions with their respective arsenals of persuasive tactics.
Psychologists have identified at least four major ingredients of persuasion: the communicator, the message, the medium by which the message is delivered, and the audience. Researchers have investigated how each of these ingredients can influence the effectiveness of messages intended to persuade.
The credibility of the communicator is an important factor in determining the persuasiveness of a message. Communicators without apparent selfish motives are generally more believable than those who stand to benefit from a change in our attitudes or behaviors. Using Thailand’s anti-smoking campaign as an example, if smokers perceive the messages as coming from impartial scientists and health experts, they are more likely to be favorably influenced, than if they view them as originating with opportunistic bureaucrats, or corrupt public officials. Also, we are inclined to be more influenced by those we perceive to be attractive, and more similar to us.
The content of the message is another important factor. Here, researchers have investigated whether well-reasoned logical appeals are more effective than appeals that target the emotions. The answer seems to depend upon characteristics of the audience. Those who are highly educated, analytical, thoughtful or involved, respond best to more logical appeals. Less well-educated audiences, and those that are disinterested, seem more influenced by peripheral cues, such as the appearance or likeability of the communicator. The cigarette campaign seems to have chosen an appeal that is primarily emotional, possibly eliciting fear or disgust.
Will the Thai antismoking campaign be successful? If the existing research is any indication, it might make a difference for some. In order to reach more educated and thoughtful individuals, however, these efforts could be enhanced by programs to educate the public about the serious health risks inherent in regular exposure to tobacco smoke. To be optimally successful, educational campaigns would likely do well to rely heavily upon authoritative communicators with a high degree of integrity and credibility.
The intent of this move, of course, is to remind smokers of the cosmetic and health risks of smoking, and presumably discourage some from engaging in this noxious habit. Psychologists use the term “persuasion” to characterize messages like these, which are intended to influence people’s attitudes and behavior. Because persuasion is so prevalent in contemporary life, we might not always be attuned to its presence.
One common form of persuasion, the television commercial has long been a mainstay of our popular culture, enticing us to favor one product over its competitors. Advertising billboards clutter our urban landscapes with words and images intended to persuade onlookers to adopt the latest fashion or consume the hippest beverage. During election campaigns, posters bearing the solemn faces of the Thai political elite sprout like mushrooms after a monsoon rain. E-marketers and scamsters litter our inboxes with spam, hoping to pique our interest in elaborate schemes to transfer large sums of money from Nigeria, or convince us that certain parts of our anatomy are in dire need of artificial enhancement.
You might try to escape the onslaught of persuasion by retreating to the local beaches. There, too, vendors and hawkers regularly approach, offering an endless variety of products and services; belts, hammocks, pendants, watches, lighters, fabrics, or a relaxing seaside massage and manicure. If you are male, try walking down Pattaya’s Soi Six to experience a variety of persuasion that is particularly enticing. Even friends, coworkers, and family members attempt to influence our attitudes and actions with their respective arsenals of persuasive tactics.
Psychologists have identified at least four major ingredients of persuasion: the communicator, the message, the medium by which the message is delivered, and the audience. Researchers have investigated how each of these ingredients can influence the effectiveness of messages intended to persuade.
The credibility of the communicator is an important factor in determining the persuasiveness of a message. Communicators without apparent selfish motives are generally more believable than those who stand to benefit from a change in our attitudes or behaviors. Using Thailand’s anti-smoking campaign as an example, if smokers perceive the messages as coming from impartial scientists and health experts, they are more likely to be favorably influenced, than if they view them as originating with opportunistic bureaucrats, or corrupt public officials. Also, we are inclined to be more influenced by those we perceive to be attractive, and more similar to us.
The content of the message is another important factor. Here, researchers have investigated whether well-reasoned logical appeals are more effective than appeals that target the emotions. The answer seems to depend upon characteristics of the audience. Those who are highly educated, analytical, thoughtful or involved, respond best to more logical appeals. Less well-educated audiences, and those that are disinterested, seem more influenced by peripheral cues, such as the appearance or likeability of the communicator. The cigarette campaign seems to have chosen an appeal that is primarily emotional, possibly eliciting fear or disgust.
Will the Thai antismoking campaign be successful? If the existing research is any indication, it might make a difference for some. In order to reach more educated and thoughtful individuals, however, these efforts could be enhanced by programs to educate the public about the serious health risks inherent in regular exposure to tobacco smoke. To be optimally successful, educational campaigns would likely do well to rely heavily upon authoritative communicators with a high degree of integrity and credibility.
posted by Michael | Saturday, May 07, 2005
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home