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Mass Media and society

Persuasion and the MediaTwo-Step Flow of Communication

December 2010

Master program

Communication and Advertising

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Propaganda research

1937 - Institute of Propaganda Analysis (New York) - Hadley Cantril

The Fine Art of Propaganda (1939), Alfred McClung Lee, Elisabeth BriantLee (eds.)

7 techniques name calling

glittering generalities transfer testimonials

plain folks card stacking bandwagon

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Techniques

Testimonials = quotations or endorsements, in or out of context,which attempt to connect a famous or respectable person with aproduct or item

Plain folks = an attempt by the propagandist to convince the

public that his views reflect those of the common person andthat they are also working for the benefit of the common person

Card stacking = only presenting information that is positive to anidea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it

Bandwagon = an appeal to the subject to follow the crowd, tojoin in because others are doing so as well. Bandwagonpropaganda is, essentially, trying to convince the subject thatone side is the winning side, because more people have joined it

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Lets identify techniques

Generation Next (Pepsi Commercial)

Pepsi Michael Jackson

Stella Artois Pig

L`Oreal - Penelope Cruz

Bonux The Inheritance

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Persuasion

Context: The WW II (after Pearl Harbor)o Leni Riefenstahl, Triumph des Willenso Frank Capra, Why We Fight

Reason:o How to motivate soldiers to fight in the war?o How to keep them motivated?

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Why We Fight

A series of 7 movies about the war in Europe A counter-propaganda (a response to Leni

RiefenstahlsTriumph des Willens)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcFuHGHfYwE&feature=related (0.45.50)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxGySNfu1Co&feature=player_embedded

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Carl Hovland

Carl Hovland was a psychologist working primarily atYale University and the US Army during World War IIwho studied attitude change and persuasion; he

conducted a team of psychologists and sociologistswho were already working for theAmerican army.

Experiments on Mass Communication (1949), Hovland,A. A. Lumsdaine, F. D. Sheffield

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Carl Hovland Attitude research

During WW2, needed to train 15 million citizens into soldiers1. Diverse and ignorant => a challenge2. Film, then a relatively new medium, seen as best medium to helpaccomplish

a) Educationalb) Motivational purposes

(1) Shape beliefs and opinionsi) War as a just causeii) Confidence in own abilities

iii) Integrity of allies (e.g. Britain)iv) Resentment of the enemyv) Military victory will make for a better world

(2) Motivate people to enlist and serve

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Hovland - Findings

Findings fit hierarchy of effects model: knowledge -> attitude ->behavior

1. Huge increase in soldiers' knowledge of the events leading to World

War 22. Influenced opinions and interpretations3. Small effect on general attitudes4. But NO measurable effects on individuals' motivation to serve assoldiers (ultimate objectives)

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Hovland - research

Designed field experiments on1. one-sided versus two-sided messages (2 radio broadcasts:a long and difficult war: pros vs. pros and cons)One-sided messages

1. lead to more attitude change with audience of lower education andintelligence2. but more educated/intelligent audience expect two sides to a persuasiveargument

2. effect of source credibility- sleeper effect

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Sleeper effect

Effect of source credibility is maximum at the timeof communication but fades with passage of time

1. Greater immediate attitude change result from higher-

credibility sources2. But differences between attitude change from higher- andlower-credibility sources disappear over time

People tend to forget untrustworthiness of low-

credibility source over time1. Remembering the message but not the dubious source

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Hovland - Implications

Research properly conducted, films well produced, but did notachieve all their goals

1. Contamination of control groups

2. Complexity of motivation: most difficult tochange3. Individual differences (e.g. belief systems)

4. Possibility of 'sleeper' effects

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Two Step Flow of Communication

Paul LazarsfeldMathematician quantitative analysis => change of direction: sociologyThe founder of Columbia University's Bureau for Applied Social ResearchInterested in media effects => quantitative analysis of media effects

Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet, The PeoplesChoice. How the Voter Makes Up His Mind in a Presidential Campaign(1944) an analysis of 1940 election (panel studies)

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The Peoples Choice

Index of Political Predispositions- social-economic status- residence

- religion- age

Effects of the campaign- activate

- reinforce- change

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The Peoples Choice

- selective exposure- bandwagon effect- cross-pressures- opinion leaders- group influence- two-step flow of communication- critics?

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Questions?

About class project?

About persuasion theories?

About two-step flow of communication?