Convincing a group of individuals having certain attitudes concerning something by making wide-scale changes appear to be very difficult. Professionals usually encounter problems when trying to make people share their views. As a result, persuasive communication has been widely used to orchestra mass change. Yale’s attitude change approach was developed by Yale University researchers as one of the methods used to study persuasive communications.
The approach involves the analysis of whoever is communicating, the type of persons the communication is envisioned for, and the quality of communication. This study method produces information concerning what tends to make individuals’ attitudes change (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2006). The approach is not flawless since it failed to assert the persuasive communication aspects that are more important as compared to others. Under this approach, people are persuaded when listeners learn the message. If a person learns and recalls the communication concepts, then such an individual will perhaps be persuaded.
The elaboration likelihood model was developed by researchers to address the Yale Attitude Change approach problems. It ideally explains the two ways by which persuasive communication could cause attitude variation (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2006). These include peripherally and centrally. When individuals follow persuasive communication as a result of motivation, they are said to be centrally affected. In contrast, when an individual becomes influenced by the communication aspect of whoever gives the speech and not paying attention to the speech aspects, then such a person is considered to be peripherally affected.
Under this approach, individuals who are motivated or compelled enough tend to give more attention to persuasive communication. They prolong the analysis of the communication argument contents in their head after the message has been heard. Furthermore, people become persuaded under this approach when they are interested in the message surface characteristics, which make them experience attitudinal change based on the superficial aspects rather than the arguments.
Reference
Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D. & Akert, R. M. (2006). Social Psychology. New Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall.