Elaboration Likelihood Model
General Purpose: This theory discusses mechanisms of persuasion and how we go about trying to present an argument.
Specific Purpose: The elaboration likelihood model predicts the effectiveness of someone’s argument/position in persuading others. It focuses on the pathways that listeners take when considering persuasive communication.
Key terms, concepts, and definitions:
There are two routes that those listening (those the speaker is trying to persuade) might take in processing an argument:
Central route: The cognitive process that allows for message elaboration, or contemplation of the meaning and purpose of the message.
Peripheral route: The cognitive process that quickly judges a messages on the basis of trivial aspects, without truly considering the message.
These routes are each considered one end of the elaboration continuum, since a listener may consider a persuasive argument to greater or lesser degrees. If a listener dismisses an argument based on a small aspect, such as the reputation of the speaker, another’s viewpoint, or if they are just not motivated or capable of actively processing the content of the message, then they have followed the peripheral route and will be only slightly or not at all changed by the argument. If a listener is motivated and able to process the message, they will consider it until they decide whether they believe the issue is favorable or unfavorable. A favorable viewpoint of the message will lead to a strong positive change in attitude for the listener, while an unfavorable viewpoint of it will cause a strong negative change in attitude.
In this theory, elaboration refers to the listener’s thinking about a message, or their mental consideration of it. A listener may have biased elaboration (top-down thinking) if they have previously considered the issue at hand, and their already-set opinions about the topic may cloud their processing of the argument. If they do not already have a bias on the issue, a listener will have objective elaboration (bottom-up thinking), in which they consider the entire issue and try to interpret the truth from the argument.
What does the theory do? The elaboration likelihood model predicts how people consider persuasive arguments and how those presenting the arguments should give their messages to be effective.
Where can it be applied? When presenting or listening to an argument. For example, if a speaker comes to talk about the exploitation of orca whales at SeaWorld parks and a listener immediately considers them an extreme activist, they have processed the message in a peripheral route. Conversely, if someone actively considers the plight of the whale, then they will process the argument in the central route. The type of elaboration they follow and their conclusion of the issue would depend on previous knowledge and their own opinions.
Summary source:
Cacioppo, J.T. and R.E. Petty. (1984) The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. Advances in Consumer Research 11 (1), 673-675.
Exemplar articles:
Cacioppo, J.T. and R.E. Petty. (1989) Effects of message repetition on argument processing, recall, and persuasion. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 10 (1): 3-12.
Angst, C.M. and R. Agarwal. (2009) Adoption of electronic health records in the presence of privacy concerns: The elaboration likelihood model and individual persuasion. MIS Quarterly 33 (2), 339-370.
Specific Purpose: The elaboration likelihood model predicts the effectiveness of someone’s argument/position in persuading others. It focuses on the pathways that listeners take when considering persuasive communication.
Key terms, concepts, and definitions:
There are two routes that those listening (those the speaker is trying to persuade) might take in processing an argument:
Central route: The cognitive process that allows for message elaboration, or contemplation of the meaning and purpose of the message.
Peripheral route: The cognitive process that quickly judges a messages on the basis of trivial aspects, without truly considering the message.
These routes are each considered one end of the elaboration continuum, since a listener may consider a persuasive argument to greater or lesser degrees. If a listener dismisses an argument based on a small aspect, such as the reputation of the speaker, another’s viewpoint, or if they are just not motivated or capable of actively processing the content of the message, then they have followed the peripheral route and will be only slightly or not at all changed by the argument. If a listener is motivated and able to process the message, they will consider it until they decide whether they believe the issue is favorable or unfavorable. A favorable viewpoint of the message will lead to a strong positive change in attitude for the listener, while an unfavorable viewpoint of it will cause a strong negative change in attitude.
In this theory, elaboration refers to the listener’s thinking about a message, or their mental consideration of it. A listener may have biased elaboration (top-down thinking) if they have previously considered the issue at hand, and their already-set opinions about the topic may cloud their processing of the argument. If they do not already have a bias on the issue, a listener will have objective elaboration (bottom-up thinking), in which they consider the entire issue and try to interpret the truth from the argument.
What does the theory do? The elaboration likelihood model predicts how people consider persuasive arguments and how those presenting the arguments should give their messages to be effective.
Where can it be applied? When presenting or listening to an argument. For example, if a speaker comes to talk about the exploitation of orca whales at SeaWorld parks and a listener immediately considers them an extreme activist, they have processed the message in a peripheral route. Conversely, if someone actively considers the plight of the whale, then they will process the argument in the central route. The type of elaboration they follow and their conclusion of the issue would depend on previous knowledge and their own opinions.
Summary source:
Cacioppo, J.T. and R.E. Petty. (1984) The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. Advances in Consumer Research 11 (1), 673-675.
Exemplar articles:
Cacioppo, J.T. and R.E. Petty. (1989) Effects of message repetition on argument processing, recall, and persuasion. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 10 (1): 3-12.
Angst, C.M. and R. Agarwal. (2009) Adoption of electronic health records in the presence of privacy concerns: The elaboration likelihood model and individual persuasion. MIS Quarterly 33 (2), 339-370.