A Cognitive Linguistic Study of the Persuasive/Attention Strategies Used in Selected American English E-Advertisements

Abstract

The present paper aims to examine the use of the persuasive rules in texts and images to determine the role of these visual modes in recalling or adding what they mention. Such a study helps set clearly which visual mode is much more convincing, the image or the text. Scholars generally agreed that the visual mode is more persuasive. However, such a statement is general as it does not state exactly which type of visual mode is more convincing. Accordingly, the research questions highlighted here are: What are the persuasive strategies invested in any of these two visual modes, texts and images? And, what is the role these visual modes play to enhance the sense of persuasion? To achieve the objectives, the researchers will adopt the cognitive linguistic theory of frame semantics by Fillmore (1995). Since the study is qualitative, the study’s data will be limited to four randomly selected American English advertisements posted on Facebook. Findings have revealed that the number of the evoked frame units is unlimited and subjective, reflecting, as a result, a person’s imagination power, his needs, and desires. The study has concluded that the visual, written text is more persuasive than the pictures and photos. The text reflects a bricolage of various persuasive strategies that help pull the attention. Besides, the images provided played a vital role, though secondary to the texts, supporting the textual information and flavor it realistically.