Persuasion Theory Research Articles

The Loincloth, a Textile Technology through Time in Congo-Kinshasa. An Ethnosociological Study Among Women in Kinshasa

It would be uncertain if, in fact, textile technology in Congo-Kinshasa has not followed the evolution of clothing over time. The loincloth is a piece of clothing that corroborates a culture based on the civilization of a people. This fabric represents respect for certain texts linked to morality in women as well as in men. For the Congolese woman, the loincloth represents a textile technology which vibrates to the rhythm of creation and production of models which constitutes the ingenuity of the couturier artists in a workshop. This study is part of the impact of textile technology for holding cultural-ethnic events, in particular: national holidays, customary weddings, prayer evenings, gala evenings, etc. Thus, the persuasive theory (BARABARS H., 2009) provides a favorable view in the semiology of clothing communication on the need to dress Congolese women in loincloths. This theory is linked to the mechanisms of cognition through the abstraction inherent in the idea and the notions learned in thought. In experimental psychology, in humans, we distinguish scales of conscious and unconscious perceptions, also called implicit or subliminal. This distinction has been extended to other animals to the extent that it is recognized or, to another extent, can be trained and conditioned to indicate whether or not they have perceived a stimulus. Fashion offers its non-inevitability for the maintenance of the textile and clothing industry. This theorization relating to persuasion appeals to the senses, the mind, ideas, the moment and time for clothing fashion. It is sensory and "immediate" as the senses deliver direct information, and reverberate in people's culture on respect for the morals and customs surrounding an evening or a festive event. Thus, through surveys carried out in Kinshasa, this study will focus on the necessity of women's clothing in loincloths and its impact in Congolese culture.

Narrative Paradigm in Da’wah Text within the Realm of Persuasive Approach

This research aims at revealing persuasive messages that are conveyed through narratives constructed by the preachers. Employing the theory of persuasion, narrative paradigm proposed by Fisher, this research analyzed three transcribed da‘wah texts that are originally have been researched by Hairus, et al from different tools of persuasion. The analysis results that there have been found ten narratives within the three sources of da’wah texts, comprising six narratives from da’wah text (DT) 1, one narrative from DT 2, and three from DT 3. In each DT, the story about the first president of Indonesia, Soekarno, is found. Other narratives’ themes are about the prophet Yusuf, Umar bin Khottob, King Fir’aun, Indonesian alim Buya Hamka, and unnamed characters. They are all assumed to be “good reasons” in the narratives because their story presents narrative probability and fidelity that the theory requires. Additionally, the foremost persuasive message is embracing iman, which is then followed by ridding them of their worries about being poor either in wealth and social power, because God will save one’s life based on their worship and their practices of good deeds.

How to deliver gender diversity education to men: Training algorithms to the rescue

AbstractGender diversity training is typically provided to mix‐gender audiences. This one‐size‐fits‐all approach may be suboptimal because information about gender bias and inequity is often received differently along gender lines: men are less likely than women to believe it. We argue for tailoring gender diversity training via implementing segmentation and tailoring algorithms in training systems. To develop our theorizing, we integrate a learner‐centric approach to diversity training with principles of jiu jitsu persuasion theory. This leads us to test a new approach to diversity training that involves dynamic adaptation and tailoring the training to learners. Specifically, we first identify two distinct segments of men—believers and skeptics—and develop a user‐friendly segmentation algorithm that segments men, in real time, using only five items (Study 1). We then use the algorithm to assign segments of men trainees to tailored or non‐tailored training and show that presenting skeptic men with a tailored message improves training reactions and increases intentions to support gender diversity efforts (Study 2). Thus, we show that dynamic adaptation and tailoring successfully explain training outcomes, particularly for trainees who are skeptical of the diversity message. Practically, our study demonstrates the functionality and value of segmentation algorithms for organizations' training systems.

Mechanisms of Media Persuasion and Positive Internet Word-of-Mouth Driving Green Purchasing Behavior: Evidence from China

As environmental issues intensify, sustainability development is becoming mainstream, with environmental topics gaining increasing attention in the media and online. Shifting consumer behavior in China toward green purchasing is crucial for mitigating environmental pollution and achieving sustainable, low-carbon consumption. This study constructed a theoretical model combining media persuasion (MP) and positive internet word-of-mouth (PIM) with green purchasing behavior (GPB), based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) and persuasion theories, to explore consumer responses to environmental information campaigns. A total of 357 valid samples were collected through an online questionnaire survey and subjected to analysis using the structural equation model (SEM). The results indicate that MP, PIM, and environmental attitude (EA) significantly influence GPB. Specifically, EA partially mediates the relationship between MP, PIM, and GPB, while environmental knowledge (EK) negatively moderates the relationship between independent variables and EA. Additionally, EK moderates the mediating effect of EA. The findings highlight that the effective implementation of MPs and PIMs can facilitate the creation of positive EA, which stimulates consumer GPB. This is essential for promoting sustainable consumption. This research contributes to sustainability by providing insights and practical suggestions for developing green marketing strategies that support environmental goals.

What theories can be used to study hospitality and tourism consumers in the post-pandemic era?

PurposeThis paper aims to highlight unconventional or underused theories that can be considered for the study of hospitality and tourism consumers. The authors discuss how these theories can be applied.Design/methodology/approachThis research paper is conceptual and descriptive in nature. The authors address the proposed theories by applying the Delphi method.FindingsTheories such as dramaturgical theory, persuasion theory, script theory, customer inspiration theory and segmented assimilation theory are underused but can be applied to studies of hospitality and tourism consumers’ behavior. They can be helpful for understanding various aspects of consumer behavior, such as their decision-making, motivations, attitudes and perceptions, in hospitality and tourism.Originality/valueConsumer behavior is more diverse and complex in the post-pandemic era. The authors draw attention to theories that are underused but have explanatory power with regards to hospitality and tourism consumers’ behaviors. These non-conventional theories can provide new theoretical perspectives and offer new insights.

Cultural Tailoring and Targeting of Messages: A Systematic Literature Review

ABSTRACT Cultural targeting and tailoring are different, yet they remain intertwined in the literature inhibiting theory development and limiting the possibility of determining their effects. This preregistered systematic literature review describes these constructs and provides a framework for cultural tailoring with evidence from a review of 63 studies, published from 2010 to 2020, to characterize the processes, elements, and theories used in the existing literature. The results show that 86% of studies self-defined as cultural tailoring, but coding revealed relatively few tailoring studies (25%) with 31% including both tailoring and targeting elements. Most studies used outreach and consultation as processes for tailoring or targeting with participatory approaches used in a fifth of the studies. Surface-level features of message content were commonly used to tailor or target with deep-cultural-values found in only a quarter of the studies. We argue from theories of communication accommodation and persuasion that cultural tailoring or targeting may provide gains in attention, recall, or source evaluation.

Moralization of Rationality Can Stimulate Sharing of Hostile and False News on Social Media, but Intellectual Humility Inhibits it

ABSTRACT Many assume that if citizens were more inclined to moralize the values of evidence-based and logical thinking, they would be less likely to share politically hostile, conspiratorial, and false claims on social media. In contrast, on the basis of theories of status seeking and persuasion, we argue that moralization of rationality may actually stimulate the spread of hostile partisan news online, including fabricated claims. Across three large surveys (N = 4800) run on U.S. respondents (one exploratory and two pre-registered), we provide empirical evidence for this prediction and demonstrate that the moralization of rationality can be a form of moral grandstanding by status seekers inclined to spread hostile (mis)information to reach partisan goals. In contrast to such grandstanding with respect to rationality, our studies find robust evidence that intellectual humility – that is, the awareness that intuitions are fallible and that trusting others is often desirable – may protect people from both sharing and believing hostile and false political news online.

Application of Persuasion Through Costumer Purchase Decision in Linnect Marketing Program

In the current era, the Internet and marketing in a business have become the backbone of the world economy; the Internet has proven to be an effective marketing tool for many different sectors. The decline in unwilling and inactive customers in 2021, namely 17,282, which is 18.54%, proves that telemarketing needs to be improved. This study aims to identify the effect of marketing through telemarketing at PT Telkom Witel Yogyakarta on customers to improve services amid consumer needs. This research method uses descriptive qualitative methods, with data collection techniques by interview. The results of this study indicate that the proposed "LINNECT" program at PT Telkom Witel Yogyakarta can improve marketing services by presenting product information on one website. This program utilizes the theory of persuasion, the concept of consumer purchasing decisions, to influence behavior. Telkom hopes this program can increase customer satisfaction and achieve target points with attractive rewards. The practical implication is the positive contribution to the Company and customer relationship and the proposed program to improve service quality and sales.

Testimonials as motivators: the case of end-of-life conversations

Abstract Persuasive testimonials are common in commercial, nonprofit, and public health contexts. They pose challenges to existing theories of narrative persuasion because they are typically both narrative and overtly persuasive. Prior research has suggested testimonials may be effective with counter-attitudinal recipients by decreasing negative affective responses and increasing meaningful affect. Often, however, testimonials may address behaviors that are anxiety provoking rather than counter-attitudinal; prior research provides little theoretical or empirical guidance concerning message influence in the face of such anxiety. An experiment comparing a testimonial versus a non-narrative message advocating end-of-life conversations found that the testimonial message increased behavioral intentions via meaningful affect and self-efficacy. The testimonial did not decrease anxiety, and there was no differential impact on high versus low anxiety recipients. The authors conclude that a eudaimonic testimonial may serve as a motivator of behavior regardless of anxiety concerning the message topic, as well as a means of increasing self-efficacy.

How graphical vividness and interactivity in non-financial presentations influence nonprofessional investors

We investigate how graphical vividness and interactivity in displays of non-financial information following poor financial performance affect the judgments of nonprofessional investors. Leveraging the Hamilton and Winchel (2019) model of dual-process theories of persuasion in financial reporting, we hypothesize and find that graphical vividness and interactivity jointly influence nonprofessional investors. Despite negative news in financial information, investors perceive a firm’s performance more positively when favorable non-financial information is presented more vividly and with a user interactivity function. Finally, contributing to theory, we find that effort positively mediates the effects of user interactivity on nonprofessional investors’ judgments and decisions. The results lend empirical support to the Hamilton and Winchel (2019) model of dual-process theories of persuasion in financial reporting and have implications for designers of investor relations websites, investor groups consuming this information, and regulators concerned about the need for standards in the presentation of non-financial information in annual reports.

Prominent or subtle: The impact of brand prominence on social media advertisement engagement

Brand prominence is a persuasive content feature of social media advertisements (SMA). Drawing on communication and persuasion theory, our research explores the effect of brand prominence on SMA engagement and its mechanism through five scenario-based experiments. The results suggest that high (vs. low) brand prominence lessens consumers' SMA engagement, but this basic effect is moderated by self-brand connection and perceived role overload. Cognitive ad avoidance mediates these effects. These results reveal that brand prominence in SMA hurts persuasion effects. Our research (1) enriches the application perspective of communication and persuasion theory, (2) provides new ideas for research in consumer resource management and contributes to the conservation of resource theory, (3) and complements brand prominence aftereffects research. Also, our findings provide practical guidance for firms’ interaction strategies with consumers on social media.

Residents’ reactance and their intervention strategies in the context of mandatory waste separation

Mandatory policies for waste separation may induce residents’ psychological reactance, which always manifests as multiple negative emotions. This psychological reaction changes dynamically and may continuously harm municipal waste management. However, how this psychological reactance changes over time and how we can intervene in it still lacks exploration. To bridge this gap, the development trends of psychological reactance for different residents and the intervention effects of information publicity were theoretically analyzed based on psychological reactance theory and persuasion theory. A four-times tracing questionnaire survey of 200 general residents from Shanghai was launched, and the data were statistically analyzed using latent variable mixed growth modeling. The results show that: (1) Mandatory policies for waste separation can lead to three trends of psychological reactance among residents: growth mode, decline mode, and inverted U mode. The latter two of these categories account for a greater proportion of the population and may be influenced by values and cultural background. (2) In all three modes, normative and knowledge-based information publicity have a mitigating effect on the growing trend of psychological reactance, while the effect on their initial state is not significant. (3) The changing trend of residents’ psychological reactance to waste separation is dynamic. Information publicity can effectively alleviate the trend of residents’ psychological reactance. The findings provide a dynamic perspective on the negative outcomes of mandatory waste separation policies and are helpful for the government to develop more appropriate policies and interventions.

Influential and Worthy: A Video-centric Exploration of Travel Influencers’ Value Chain Logic

Influencer marketing has ushered in a new mode of electronic commerce, necessitating research to explore this emerging business logic. This study, grounded in communication and persuasion theory, develops a theoretical framework of travel influencers’ value chain logic. It elucidates how these influencers’ communication strategies drive their audience members’ online engagement and influencers’ business value on short video platforms. A multi-method design and video-centric approach revealed three dimensions of influencers’ communication strategies—physical attractiveness, content richness, and social activity—that significantly shaped audience members’ online engagement with the content. Such engagement in turn had a positive impact on influencers’ business value. These findings help to clarify value chain logic in influencer marketing and carry managerial implications for influencers and travel brands.

New Thoughts on Research Framework for Integrating Leader Voice-Taking Behavior: A Literature Review Based Study

Objective: The purpose of this study is to conduct a relatively comprehensive literature review with leader voice-taking behavior as the core dimension in order to construct a logical quantitative research framework for studying organizational innovation in the hospitality industry. Theoretical Framework: The framework can be used to guide the optimization of management processes in Chinese hospitality industry, especially in response to corporate innovation problems caused by leaders who do not pay attention to the voices of their front-line employees (FLEs). Method: This study used a theoretical integration of a conventional review of literature textual research, drawing on persuasion theory, social information processing theory, and affective event theory to explain a model of leader voice-taking behavior. Results and Discussion: The findings of this paper more systematically integrates the logical relationships between the dimensions related to leader voice-taking behavior, including message factors (promotive voice, prohibitive voice, issue importance, voice directness), source factors (employee’s voice efficacy, value congruence, employee loyalty, employee expertise) and context factors (diversity, LMX) as predictable antecedents of leader voice-taking behavior. On the other hand, FOCC and affective factors (positive emotions, relational energy) are potentially mediating the relationship between leader discourse behavior and service innovation in FLEs. Research Implications: This study provides theoretical support for leadership-employee related behavioral theories, emphasizes the role of voice-taking behavior in corporate innovation, and is instructive for quantitative analysis of Chinese hospitality industry related to this type of research. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature review by leader voice-taking behavior. This is academically capable of guiding other related research and has a strong academic value.

Persuasive Analysis on “Make Over” Advertisement Instagram Caption

This study discusses the persuasive techniques used in advertising women's beauty products on Instagram social media. This study examines "Persuasive Analysis of Instagram Caption Ads "Make Over". The purpose of this research is to find out the types of persuasive techniques and strategies used in advertising beauty products on Instagram. techniques used in advertising beauty products from beauty product accounts. The source of the data in this study came from the captions of several beauty product accounts on "Make Over". The descriptive method was used to analyze the data using Keraf's theory (2004). The data was obtained from 16 captions on the "Make Over" beauty product. From the results of the study it was concluded that the most frequently used suggestion technique, from the 16 collected data sheets it can be seen that the persuasive presentation techniques used in advertising beauty products are: rationalization 38%, identification 13%, suggestions. 18%, 13% conformity, 6% compensation, 6% displacement, and 6% projection. Then, the techniques most often used in advertising are rationalization techniques and suggestion techniques because they are easier for advertisers to reach and attract consumers' attention. It is suggested to future researchers with the same topic to apply several other persuasive theories and not only focus on one theory for research improvement. Keywords: Persuasive technique, Advertisment Make Over.

Persuasive Promotions: Leveraging Location Proximity in College Selection Strategies for Prospective Students

This study explores the critical role of location proximity in the decision-making process of prospective students when selecting higher education institutions. Drawing upon Aristotle's persuasive theories, the research aims to craft effective promotional content that leverages the significance of location proximity in attracting students to colleges and universities. Through a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, the study investigates the extent to which location proximity influences students' decisions and develops persuasive messages based on ethos, pathos, and logos theories. Findings indicate that proximity to home significantly influences students' choices, driven by factors such as convenience, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. By recognizing and addressing the importance of location proximity, educational institutions can enhance their recruitment strategies, bolster competitiveness, and contribute to student success. This research underscores the need for institutions to tailor offerings and promotional strategies to resonate with prospective students effectively, emphasizing the benefits of attending a nearby institution.

The Effects of Fear and Shame in Health Testimonial Videos on Identification and Health Beliefs

Abstract: Two online experiments (Study 1 N = 310; Study 2 N = 967) using video testimonials manipulated the degree of fear and shame experienced by viewers by varying the degree of risk and stigma associated with the illnesses endured by the protagonists. Results showed that increasing risk and stigma intensified identification, which in turn affected story-consistent beliefs. Trait empathy, expected to increase identification did not predict higher identification. Both studies, using different videos depicting different illnesses, found similar results suggesting a general pattern. Results are discussed in the context of persuasion theory and implications for message design are suggested.

The Influencers’ Attributes and Customer Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Customer Attitude Toward Brand

The main purpose of this study is to discuss whether online influencers can improve customer brand attitude and thus increase purchase intention as both of them are important performance indicators in a live show. Drawing on the persuasion theory, the authors aim to investigate the impacts of influencers’ attributes (professionalism, credibility, interactivity and attractiveness) on customers purchase intention from the perspective of attitude toward brand. Data were collected from 233 customers in China where the influencer centered livestreaming e-commerce is enjoying rapid growth. The hypotheses were tested via structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that the influencers’ credibility and attractiveness increase purchase intention directly. Further, customer brand attitude plays a mediating role in the relationship between the influencers’ attributes (attractiveness, credibility, and interactivity) and purchase intention. While, the professionalism improves neither favorable customer brand attitude nor purchase intention. The findings provide theoretical implications for scholars to rethink the role of internet influencers in influencing customer purchase intention.

Critical Discourse Analysis of the Speech of Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the United Nations General Assembly

The research study entitled “Critical Discourse Analysis of the Speech of Recep Tayyip Erdogan at United Nations General Assembly” aims to analyze and find out the ways used by Recep Tayyip Erdogan in delivering his political speech using the Critical Discourse Analysis theory proposed by Fairclough and the theory of Persuasion postulated by Aristotle. During a political speech, the leader tries to express, declare, commit, emphasize, or motivate the listeners by using one’s ideology and power. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is considered an effective approach to exploring the use of power and hidden ideologies in a text. The method applied in this research is the descriptive qualitative method. The transcript of Erdogan’s speech was taken from the mentioned web page (America Times News Service September 21, 2022) and the video (with subtitles) from YouTube which has 30 30-minute time duration. Both the transcript and video of the speech were used in the investigation of the data. His speech of Erdogan has been analyzed to show how using language, he motivated and persuaded his followers to comply with his cause. Based on the study's findings, it can be concluded that figurative language, modal auxiliaries, and personal pronouns are used very efficiently and widely in the persuasive discourse of Erdogan, and the rhetorical elements that most frequently have been applied are a combination of appealing using ethos and pathos.

Revisiting the rhetorical construction of political consent

Abstract How political leaders construct consent is a constant theme of studies in political rhetoric and theories of persuasion. We explore how populist linguistic strategies combine with traditional consensus-building to align populations with the speakers’ messages. We observe similarities and differences in discourse strategies across two contrasting polities, the UK, a foundational modern representative democracy and Russia, which is considered more autocratic. The data comes from speeches given by Boris Johnson and Vladimir Putin during the Covid-19 crisis. They were analysed using Corpus Linguistics, compared in qualitative analysis that identities key lexico-grammatical features. The findings show a convergence in some of the strategies and linguistic styles, but also key differences which, we suggest, depend on cultural factors specific to the two nations. The results contribute to our understanding of the operation of these resources in modern political discourse, highlighting the way cultural factors influence rhetorical styles in very different political structures.