Persuasion

Definition

Persuasion is a process aimed at changing a person's attitude or behavior toward some event, idea, object, or other person(s), by using written, spoken words or visual tools to convey information, feelings, or reasoning.

Related terms

Central Route Persuasion:

This involves deeply processing the content of the message in order to be persuaded. For example, reading car reviews before making a purchase.

Peripheral Route Persuasion:

This involves being persuaded in a manner that is not based on the arguments or the message content. For instance, buying a product because your favorite celebrity endorsed it.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory:

A theory suggesting that we feel discomfort when our beliefs and behaviors are inconsistent with each other, often leading us to change our attitudes to reduce this discomfort.