The Factors That Influence Persuasion

Abstract

Persuasion is a form of social influence in which an audience is intentionally encouraged to adopt an idea, attitude, or course of action. There are several factors that can influence the persuasiveness of a message. Mindfulness can be invoked in people to sway their reaction to the persuasive message. Incentives can be used to create motivation, along with both a rational and emotional appeal to reason. Offering a choice or information of value can also be used as an incentive, as agency and fulfilling curiosity are both intrinsically motivating. A lot of these factors are affected by the Law of Approach and Avoidance, which states that people approach environments where they sense positive feelings, and avoid those that invoke negative feelings. The ideal persuasive message to create a long-lasting change should be directed towards a mindful audience, utilizing an incentive - which could be offering agency or satisfying curiosity - to induce mindfulness.