Page 162
"Fear appeals are powerful because they channel our thoughts away from careful consideration of the issue at hand towards plans for ridding ourselves of the fear. When illegitimate fears are used, the message promotes deception."
Page 163
"Experimental data overwhelmingly tells us that all other things being equal, the more frightened a person is by a communication, the more likely he or she is to take positive preventative action."
"What Leventhal and his colleagues discovered is that the people who had a reasonably good opinion of themselves (high self-esteem) were the ones most likely to be moved by high degrees of fear arousal"
Page 164
"Much research has shown that if recipients of a fear appeal perceive that there is no way to cope effectively with threat, they are not likely to respond to the appeal, but will just bury their heads in the sand - even those who have high self-esteem."
Page 165
"In sum, a fear appeal is most effective when (1) it scares the hell out of people, (2) it offers a specific recommendation for overcoming the fear-arousing threat, (3) the recommended action is perceived as effective for reducing the threat, and (4) the message recipient believes that he or she can perform the recommended action."
"Much research has shown that if recipients of a fear appeal perceive that there is no way to cope effectively with threat, they are not likely to respond to the appeal, but will just bury their heads in the sand - even those who have high self-esteem."
Page 165
"In sum, a fear appeal is most effective when (1) it scares the hell out of people, (2) it offers a specific recommendation for overcoming the fear-arousing threat, (3) the recommended action is perceived as effective for reducing the threat, and (4) the message recipient believes that he or she can perform the recommended action."
Page 167
"Given the power of fear to motivate and direct our thoughts, there is much potential for abuse. Illegitimate fears can always be invented for any given propaganda purpose."
"Given the power of fear to motivate and direct our thoughts, there is much potential for abuse. Illegitimate fears can always be invented for any given propaganda purpose."
My Understanding
The book suggests that using high fear tactics makes people more likely to change their feelings about an issue, but this is useless unless they give clear directions as to how they can do something about it. People with high-self esteem are more likely to try and tackle the issues as they have more confidence.
Chapter 25 - Guilt Sells
Page 178
"When we feel guilty we typically pay little attention to the cogency of an argument, to the merits of a suggested course of action. Instead, our thoughts and actions are directed to removing the feeling of guilt - to somehow making things right or doing the right thing. We fall into the rationization trap."
"Guilt can be induced by reminding the target of past sins that have long since been atoned for, by making small transgressions loom large, or by making it appear that the target is responsible for a crime that he or she did not commit. Once we are filled with guilt, our thoughts and behaviour are directed toward ridding ourselves of this feeling. The end result is, at best, the manipulation our behaviour and, perhaps at worst, long-term damage to our self-esteem.
My Understanding
Feeling guilty can make us think differently to how we'd usually feel because we feel the need to atone for something. By comparing our lives to the lives of starving Africans, adverts can create a feeling of guilt, which makes us more likely to comply to their requests.
Harvard Referencing
Aronson, E and Pratkanis, A (1997). Age Of Propaganda The Everyday Use And Abuse Of Persuasion. 6th ed. USA: W.H.Freeman and Company. 162-165, 167, 178.
Page 178
"When we feel guilty we typically pay little attention to the cogency of an argument, to the merits of a suggested course of action. Instead, our thoughts and actions are directed to removing the feeling of guilt - to somehow making things right or doing the right thing. We fall into the rationization trap."
"Guilt can be induced by reminding the target of past sins that have long since been atoned for, by making small transgressions loom large, or by making it appear that the target is responsible for a crime that he or she did not commit. Once we are filled with guilt, our thoughts and behaviour are directed toward ridding ourselves of this feeling. The end result is, at best, the manipulation our behaviour and, perhaps at worst, long-term damage to our self-esteem.
My Understanding
Feeling guilty can make us think differently to how we'd usually feel because we feel the need to atone for something. By comparing our lives to the lives of starving Africans, adverts can create a feeling of guilt, which makes us more likely to comply to their requests.
Harvard Referencing
Aronson, E and Pratkanis, A (1997). Age Of Propaganda The Everyday Use And Abuse Of Persuasion. 6th ed. USA: W.H.Freeman and Company. 162-165, 167, 178.
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