Category: Essays

Frustrated activists often lament that audiences simply do not want to listen to them. "I just don't want to know!" is a commonly-heard refrain. They will not be surprised to learn that social psychology supportsContinue reading

Social psychological research on the absorption of media indicates that media frequently operates in a two-step flow. Media first hits opinion leaders and then disseminates to friends, family, colleagues, and others. Messages become popular as they are filtered throughContinue reading

When an observer is repeatedly exposed to a message, they are more likely to form a positive attitude about it.  This happens because becoming familiar with a person, thing, or idea breeds fondness. To illustrateContinue reading

The Primacy effect manifests to increase persuasion if the message is simply presented first among competing messages. Candidates listed first on the ballot have an advantage, for instance. In the courtroom, the testimony that goes firstContinue reading

Should activists acknowledge counterarguments in their appeals? Some research suggests that doing so will increase the speaker's credibility. With any persuasive measure, audience matters. If an audience is not aware of the opposing argument orContinue reading

Fear creates vulnerability which, in turn, facilitates response. For this reason, fear tactics are often applied in public health campaigns such as those designed to curb smoking and tanning. One French study found that fear-arousingContinue reading