COMM 339 – Persuasion

Theory Knowledge Homework #2

For each of the persuasion “actions” described below, identify the specific persuasion theory you believe best explains or fits the method used by the “persuader” (or the result described).  Then explain in a few words why the theory you selected seems the correct one (e.g. what features of the theory match the action).

 

  1. Motivational experts sometime say that, if you want to get a person highly committed to volunteer work, get him/her to agree to try it out a few times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. If too much pressure and threats are placed on a receiver in order to get him/her to cooperate on a project, you won’t get much favorable attitude change if s/he does agree to work with you and you’ll get a committed opponent of your project if s/he refuses.










  2. When you repeatedly attempt to persuade people to do things they don’t like and don’t want to do, over time your credibility and authority will decline.








  3. Recently scam artists tried to get people to buy a worthless stock by sending email messages praising the stock in a way that led investors to think they were getting insider information by mistake.  That way they would believe the false praise more readily.









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  4. A crucial part of getting young people to follow medical guidelines for diabetes treatment includes not only showing them the treatment is necessary to their lives.  It also requires convincing them that it will not be as hard as they may think to adopt the diet and treatment methods they need.










  5. Political campaign managers will tell you that, for average workers, if you can persuade them that your candidate will do the most to protect jobs, then they will think favorably of your candidate.

 

 

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