Mass Communication & Journalism

  TECHNIQUES OF PERSUASION Three techniques those are common in persuasive communication-humor, sex, and repetition. The research on the first two suggests that they be used care­fully, because they can be misunderstood or can distract from the message, and there is little evidence that they actually bring about attitude change. Repetition has its pros and cons and should also be used carefully. It increases the chances of penetrating through audience indifference or resistance, and it can lead to greater learning—of a message, of a relationship between a product name and positive associations, or of the connection be­tween a credible source and particular message. But it can also lead to increased counter arguing and increased thinking about other, irrelevant topics. Newer theories of persuasion grant a more active role to the receiver; information-integration theory is one of the more popular of these new theories. Audiences and communicators need to understand their applications...