How Do You Analyze And Resist Persuasive Communications?
We are exposed to a great many ads and other persuasive messages each day. It’s helpful to have good defenses against persuasive communications and to help children develop them, too, so they can learn to resist pressures to smoke, try drugs and the like. The key elements of persuasion are identified below, along with how they work and how to resist them. You need to understand and be able to analyze the three primary means of persuasion. In ancient times these were known as ethos (the character of the speaker or source), logos (the argument made), and pathos (appeals to the emotions) and they are still applicable today. Each of these will be discussed below. Ethos should always come first in a persuasive communication and must be subjected to scrutiny. Ethos refers to the character of the speaker, or the source of the message (an advertiser or ad spokesperson, for example). The credibility aspect of character or source needs to be closely inspected. Is the advertiser, or a drug pusher
