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Instructors: Prof. Dr. Klaus Schönbach
Event type:
Seminar
Org-unit: Graduate School | ZUGS
Displayed in timetable as:
Kognitions- & Erkenn
Credits:
4,0
Location:
Campus der Zeppelin Universität
Language of instruction:
Englisch
Min. | Max. participants:
- | -
Course content:
How and why do we succeed in convincing other people to help us, to buy a product or a service, to vote for us, to love us? Often by means of persuasive communication of all sorts: texts (spoken and written), body language, pictures (still and moving), music, colors, smells—even architecture, clothing and coins. This course will
give you an overview of tactics and strategies of persuasive communication—with practical exercises--and
present and discuss theories trying to explain why these tactics and strategies work.
The course starts with persuasive arguments as the basic tactics of trying to influence other people--since Aristotle and Cicero the most often studied instrument of persuasion. Strategies follow--they combine at least two elements to make persuasive communication successful. We will also cover issue management, the persuasiveness of specific communication channels and the persuasibility of specific groups in society. Evidence from advertising as a particularly tough case of persuasion will always be drawn on.
Course schedule:
Prologue: Funkhouser´s action-decision sequence
Persuasive reasoning: a kit of requests, of their values and credibility
2.1. Requests
2.2. The value of requests
2.3. Flirting and "nudging"
2.3. Cialdini’s most convincing values
2.4. Credibility
2.5. The Elaboration Likelihood Model
4. Channels of persuasion
„Persuasibility": Who can be influenced most easily?
6. Persuasion strategies
The psycho-dynamic model
The socio-cultural model
Issue management
"Foot-in-the-door"
6.5. "Door-in-the-face"
6.6. Threats
6.7. Confusion: "disruption-then-reframe"
6.8. Two-sided reasoning
Further information about the exams:
Course requirements:
- Two short papers with analyses and evaluations of existing persuasive texts and/or the evidence-based creation of one’s own persuasive texts.
- 100% class participation
Mandatory literature:
Suggested reading:
Andrews, M., Leeuwen, M. van, & Baaren, R. van (2013). Hidden persuasion: 33 psychological influence techniques in advertising. Amsterdam: BIS.
Cialdini, R. B. (2021). Influence, new and expanded: The psychology of persuasion. New York: HarperCollins.
Fisher, H. (2017). Anatomy of love: A natural history of mating, marriage, and why we stay. Completely revised and updated. New York: Norton.
Funkhouser, G. R. (1986). The power of persuasion: A guide to moving ahead in business and life. New York: Times Books.
Sharot, T. (2017). The influential mind: What the brain reveals about our power to change others. London: Little, Brown.
For those who can read German:
Schönbach, K. (2022). Verkaufen, flirten, führen: Persuasive Kommunikation – ein Überblick. 5. Auflage [selling, flirting, leading: persuasive communication–an overview. 5th edition]. Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer VS.
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