TOWARD A MESSAGE-CENTERED THEORY OF PERSUASION: THREE EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF LANGUAGE INTENSITY¹

Abstract

Based on accumulated knowledge concerning the effects of language intensity on attitude change, a set of propositions were advanced that provide a skeletal theoretical framework. Based on the propositions, three separate studies were done to extend the predictive power of the formulation. Predicted interactions between sex of the source, situational anxiety, source credibility, and language intensity were obtained. There were also significant person perception changes as a result of the level of language intensity employed in the persuasive message. Discussion centered on the import of the new findings in formulating a message-centered theory of persuasion.Development of theories of communication has been generally impeded by the tendency of researchers to borrow constructs, models, and theories fromother disciplines. Although in the early days of "experimental public address" research, the borrowing of theories from social psychology was useful in giving direction to research, many now question the utility of that approach. Communication scholars are urging empirical researchers to properly define communication in a restricted way, to center on message variables, and to be as concerned with theory development now as they have been with research methodology in the past.If theory development is to occur, the domain of that theory must include as.unique elements message variables. Rhetorical theorists have long included such variables as critical elements in their investigations. Behavioral scientists have been slower in developing message-related research. There are probably several reasons for that reticence. First, the bulk of published empirical research in communication is concerned with but one function of communication: persuasion. Models from other disciplines (e.g., cognitive dissonance, social judgment, various learning theory models, etc.) were readily available. Most of these models are "input-output" oriented. An input (usually some persuasive message) is operated on by some psychological mechanism(s) (dissonance, learning, etc.) to produce some output. The typical persuasion paradigm has been the manipulation or control of some source, situation, or receiver variable, the presentation or lack of presentation of an uncontrolled but constant message, and the measurement of attitude change.Persuasive messages are rarely systematically produced nor their effects explained. If hypotheses are not confirmed, the researcher does not know if the message was ineffective or if his theory is invalid. The psychological models put a premium on studying situations (e.g., the counterattitudinal advocacy paradigm), source and personality variables, and receiver correlates of attitude change. The models in general do not depend on message variables for their predictive power.A second reason for researchers avoiding message variables is the difficulty in operationalizing the constructs. With relative ease, a researcher can factor analyze adjectives describing a source and create something called "credibility" to repl...

Compliance and Satisfaction With Physician-Patient Communication An Expectancy Theory Interpretation of Gender Differences

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Language intensity: Testing a content‐based metric

“…To date, most language intensity research has tended to be experimental in nature and to focus on the impact of message intensity on impression formation processes within a compliance-gaining context (e.g., Bradac, Bowers, & Courtright, 1979;Burgoon, Jones, & Stewart, 1971;Hamilton & Stewart, 1993;Miller, Reynolds, & Cambra, 1987). The typical methodology for most investigations is one in which the researcher manipulates a contrived message (i.e., blanked paragraph) by inserting words or phrases rated high or low in intensity and then evaluating the impact of the Randall G. Rogan (Ph.D. Michigan State University, 1990) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech Communication at Wake Forest University.…”

Messages as replications: Toward a message‐centered design strategy

“…For example, in the fear appeals research, the same base message appears in the series of studies reported by Dabbs and Leventhal (1966), Leventhal, Jones, and Trembly (1966), Leventhal, Singer, and Jones (1965), and Rosen, Terry, and Leventhal (1982); in this research areaŝ everal other messages make repeat appearances in pairs or triplets of studies. Likewise, in the language intensity literature, the six studies reported in Burgoon and Chase (1973), Burgoon, Jones, and Stewart (1975, experiments 2 and 3), Burgoon and King (1974), and Chase and Kelly (1976, studies 1 and 2) appear to use a total of two base messages.…”