Example Of Persuasion Essay

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As we read further into the book, ethical arguments tend to come up, but just what defines the standard of ethics...society? Maybe I am reading too much into it, but these are the arguments that come to mind while reading. According to Perloff (1993), persuasion is a powerful tool—one that has strong effects on society and that companies use to raise profits. I start to wonder, is persuasion a tool or weapon, because at the end of the day a gun can either be a tool or weapon, can it not? Bettinghaus & Cody (1978) define persuasion as a conscious attempt to change the attitude, beliefs of behavior of an individual or group. The reason I mention Bettinghaus & Cody is due to Perloff's mention of attitudes in Chapters 4 through 6. Our attitudes have implicit and explicit effects on us, whether we choose to believe it or not. We are constantly bombarded with information and experiences, affecting our attitudes, either reinforcing them or creating them. In my previous journal entry, I mentioned a Public Service Announcement that I felt was using threats to persuade the audience. "Look outside your window, you see that empty parking space? That is where my car used to be before I sold it. Why did I sell it? I sold it because I had to pay my lawyer. Why did I have to pay my lawyer you ask? I was caught driving…show more content…
According to Merriam Webster (2015), coercion is defined as an achievement through force or threat. Can a threat be implicit? The reason I ask this, is because threats against societal norms seem to be common in commercials recently. More often than not, you will see a commercial that says "Without this product, you will never get this in life" or something along those lines. I wonder if the line between coercion and persuasion has been blurred, if so then these advertisers are taking advantage of us, are they
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