Social Psychology - Spin Doctoring Essay - 1296 Words

Social Psychology Week 4 â€Å"Spin Doctoring† 1. Which path(s) to persuasion is/are present in the global warming case? I believe that both central route and peripheral route paths to persuasion are used in the global warming case. Central route persuasion is evident in global warming because people are more globally conscious and aware of the issues concerning our planet than they were decades ago. People are more concerned now about protecting our planet and better informed, thus, global warming, its causes, and ways to reduce our carbon footprint are of great concern to the public. The hydrocarbon producers, one of the communicators, credibility is lessened against other communicators such as Greenpeace, because many in the†¦show more content†¦Their global warming message is delivered via YouTube, television, and print media. Al Gore’s book and movie, â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth† created the most â€Å"buzz† with people and got them talking about global warming. This demonstrates the truth †Å"†¦that the major influence on us is not the media but our contact with people.† (Myers, 2008 p. 242) â€Å"†¦ 18 to 29-year-olds, the age group generally most concerned about global warming and most likely to say the problem is underestimated†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Saad, 2009) is the audience for the global warming message. Their attitude toward global warming will probably remain unchanged as â€Å"†¦ early-adult experiences are formative partly because they make deep and lasting impressions.† (Myers, 2008, p.245) The message that global warming can greatly harm the planet and that one must act to stop it evokes favorable thoughts in that one is saving the world, a very positive thing to do. In summary, the global warming case uses a combination of central and peripheral routes of persuasion, both based on fact and involvement as well as based on acceptance of authority and personal and social influence. 2. How does the tobacco industry example fit into our understanding of impression management? Impression management should be the motto of the tobacco industry. The example fits impression management to a tee. Although clear evidence exists that smoking causes lung cancer, theShow MoreRelatedSpin Doctoring718 Words   |  3 PagesWeek 4 Homework Spin Doctoring Which paths(s) to persuasion is/are present in the global warming case? Both paths can be present in this, or any case. The peripheral route could occur if people who are listing, watching or discussing the global warming case are conserved with cues, such as fear of the ice caps melting. This route can occur when people are induced by incidental cues, such as fear, or attractiveness, likeness to the listener, or desire, or any of the opposites (Myers,