Persuasion: Theoretic Conceptual Valences

Abstract

The modern age has subordinated the whole society, imposing a model in which the individual should deliver not only content, but also form. The process of persuasion is applied daily, in everyday institutional and social contexts, etc., with the aim of convincing the other to believe, think and/or act in a certain way, to accept the “form”. The content disseminated in the public space often includes a persuasive valence, that is why is important to know the conceptual and functional aspects of persuasion, in order to be able to elaborate broad and complex analyses of media or advertising discourse. Persuasion is a complex process, through which an individual tries to influence/convince another individual or a group to adopt a certain opinion, behavior or action. The purpose of persuasion is to convince a person or a group of people, in order to change certain perceptions, attitudes, preferences, behaviors regarding a certain product, service, current, person, etc., according to their interests or desires or/and the goals of the sender, that is, the one trying to persuade. In the specialized literature, persuasion is defined as "the art of influencing positively", being used in various spheres such as: advertising, public relations, communication, marketing, politics, etc., applied both in a private setting, in an institutional one or even in the public one.