Elaboration on the Reception of a Persuasive Message
Communication has two integral pieces. The sending or sharing of a message, and the reception of that message. While technology has changed the way we can communicate with one another, the interpretation, perception, and acceptance of persuasive information are all based on the psychology of communication. It may seem as simple as one person conveying a message to another, but there are thousands of reasons why the reception of that information would vary from person to person.
Experiences are what make up the unique psychology of every individual. Rosenberry and Vicker explain in their book Applied Mass Communication Theory, that “some factors that account for perceptual differences include: biological differences, cultural differences, different socializing environments, different education levels, and different religious backgrounds.” It’s these, among many more, perceptual differences that influence the filtering and interpretation of messages. Charlotte Nickerson, from Simply Psychology, expands on the idea when it comes to messages of persuasion and the use of the elaboration likelihood model. This communication model attempts to explain how people “process stimuli differently and how the outcomes of these processes result in changing attitudes and, consequently, behavior.”
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Typically, elaboration is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the act or process of elaborating,” which is also defined as “made or done with great care or with much detail.” For this communication model, Nickerson explains that “elaboration refers to the amount of effort that any audience member of a message has to use to process and evaluate a message, remember it, and subsequently accept or reject it.” By applying this model a person has two routes to take in the psychological journey of interpreting a persuasive message. John Geddes, from the Interaction Design Foundation, explains that the first option is the central route which, “involves a high level of elaboration as the person scrutinizes the message’s contents.” The second option is the peripheral route which, “involves a low level of elaboration as the user isn’t scrutinizing the message for its effectiveness.” This route is more influenced by peripheral factors, which make a message more appealing. A person’s choice between these two routes could also lead to temporary or lasting changes in attitude and behavior.
The choice between these two routes comes back to perceptional differences and the influence that has on a person’s motivation when interpreting a persuasive message. If a person is highly motivated by the topic of a message then they are more likely to choose the central route, while a person with no motivation is more likely to choose the peripheral route. Some examples would be if a person needs to buy something like, a desk or a refrigerator, and they do their research on the item versus taking a recommendation from a friend. A similar example would be a person deciding between two cars. The central route would be taken by a person interested in the facts of the car like the safety rating, reliability, and fuel efficiency of the vehicle. While the peripheral route would be taken by a person interested in cosmetics and other potential vanity factors.
These routes affect the receiver, but the sender of the message can also use them. To maximize the effect, the sender can craft a persuasive message that could be positive or negative. It’s not necessarily about whether the message is true, but whether the receiver accepts or rejects the information. A persuader could be a scientist explaining the benefits of a deodorant with credibility and facts to back their claim. They could also be a person for the competing brand, who happens to have sex appeal, and claims they use the product. Different types of people will choose different routes to make a decision based on their motivation. Crafting the most persuasive message may just depend on the understanding of a general audience, what will appeal to their overall elaboration, and their likelihood to act in one way or another.
