THE MAGIC OF PERSUASION: Power of Persuasion in our Social Life

Von Dr. Azim Ostowar Ghafuri

The world has been changend in the last decades inthe sphere of technology, economy, political and social life tremendously.
Persuasion has a very big rule in this changes. As the previous mighty totalitarian regimes in some countries changes to new market-oriented values. It is important and interessting for political parties,advertisers,students, public relation departments and many other people to learn and understand the virous methods and mechanism of the magic persuasion in the daily life of people.

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: neobooks Self-Publishing
• Erscheinungsdatum: 27. Apr. 2016
• ISBN: 9783738068115

Buchvorschau

DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate my Book to my late. beloved daughter Angela jan, my late. Parents,my wife, my sons: Ajmal Jan, Wali Jan, Jamil Jan, my grandchildren: Roman Jan, Hilla Jan, Lemar Jan, my daughters in-Law: Maryam Jan, Lina Jan, my sisters and brothers and their families, my uncle, M. Aref khan and my all friends, whom I love/loved and respect very much.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Herein, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to all those who, in one or another way played a role in or contributed to the preparation of this book and provide me the means and the materials needed for this book. Particularly I expressed my best thanks and gratitude to my book-editor Diplom Social pedagogue Narges Richard.

Bild 1

Author:

Dr. Azim Ostowar Ghafuri was born in Nangarhar Afghanistan and he got there a Bachelor Degree in Communication. Then from India he received a Master Degree in Telecommunication as Diploma-Engineer. After that Dr. Azim Ostowar Ghafuri obtained a Diploma for Journalism from International Institute of Journalism in Budapest Hungary. Then he got a Master Degree with best Result in Journalism (Red Diploma) from Warsaw University. Later on, Dr. Azim Ostowar received a Ph.D. (Doctortitle) in Human Studies and Political Sciences also from Warsaw University in Poland. In 1983 he got a Membership of International Organization of Journalist. Dr.Azim Ostowar Ghafuri speaks five languages.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION PAGE

PART ONE

DEFINITIONS, DESCRIPTIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF PERSUASION SPHERES

CHAPTER 1 PERSUASION

Examples of Persuasions Effect and Non-Effect

The Satisfaction of Needs

The Information and Environment

Influencing Behavior of other Persons

Definition of Persuasion

Principles of Persuasion

Persuasion Techniques

Requirements for Successful Persuasion

CHAPTER 2 ADVERTISING

Debate in Advertising

Criticisms of Advertising

Defences of Advertising

Definition of Advertising

Kinds of Advertisings

Advertising Organisations (Departments/Agencies)

Advertising Agency

The structure of Advertising Agencies

Advertising Research

Different Advertising Media

Television Advertisings

Radio Advertisings

Direct Mail

CHAPTER 3 PROPAGANDA

Propaganda and its Concept

Definition of Propaganda

The types of Propaganda

Counter-Propaganda

Vehicles of Propaganda

CHAPTER 4 PUBLIC RELATIONS (PR)

The Corporation as a Social Institution

Public Relations Evolution

Basic Objectives of Public Relations Department

Publicity

Radio

Television

Types of Visual Communication Media

PART TWO

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF PERSUASION SPHERES

CHAPTER 5 PUBLIC RELATIONS IN ADVERTISING

SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCES

Where Advertising and Public Relation meet together

The effect of Advertising on Public Relations

Differences

CHAPTER 6 ADVERTISING AND PROPAGANDA

Non-commercial Advertising

Commercial Propaganda

CHAPTER 7 MARKETING AND ADVERTISING

Market Segmentation

Sales Promotion and Supplementary Media

Marketing Plan

CHAPTER 8 PROPAGANDA AND EDUCATION

Religious Education (Propaganda)

Secular – Domestic Education (Propaganda)

Significance of educational Propaganda for International Relations

Distinction Education and Propaganda

PART THREE

CHAPTER 9 Conclusions

CHAPTER10 Supplement

Characteristic Features of Practitioners in Persuasion Spheres

Desirable Characteristics for Persuasion Practitioners

Education for Persuasion Activists

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

Modern economy, tremendous development in technology as well as big changes in social and political life make people increasingly dependent upon each other. Human beings look to each other for recognition, respect and understanding. This dependence of people at work in social and spiritual lives has created extraordinary changes in human relationship. Human beings both as an individual or as a group in different organisations such as political, social, religious organisations try to satisfy their basic economic, social and spiritual wants and needs.

To satisfy their needs they must manipulate their physical and social environments. To manipulate the environments people require a great many facts and information about it. Such information comes mostly from social communications or mass media has persuasive character. And this is the point I represent in my Book: „Application of Persuasion in Social Communication".

Persuasion and persuading nowadays is becoming a phenomenon and necessity of our everyday life. We are constantly engaged in trying to transmit persuasive information and ideas to other people and also we are continually receiving the persuasive information and ideas from mass media. This reality brings studying the persuasion spheres on the top priority.

We also know today as never before in the history, people are led by their own consent, guided by their own opinion, now they are their own masters. The command of a king is no longer the word of law which should be automatically obeyed. The world has been dramatically changed in different spheres of modern technology, economy, political and social affairs. These changes of course tremendously affect the various spheres of persuasion, their meanings and understanding, their importance and applications.

To avoid misunderstanding, misusing and confusion, it is necessary to see every sphere of persuasion from different sides and perspectives. In this Book first I try to discuss the various aspects of each important sphere of persuasion such as advertising, public relations, propaganda, etc. . . . Their definitions, application as well as their importance, and proper place and roles in the to days very complex societies. Secondly I try to find similarities and differences between various spheres of persuasion, more or less clearly seen if they exist.

This Book consist of ten chapters in three parts. The first part of this Book consists of four chapters (I-II-III-IV), the description, definitions and applications of the main spheres of persuasion are discussed as follow:

The first chapter contains definitions, principals, techniques and requirements of persuasion. Besides the effect of persuasion on people’s behaviour, and also the effect of persuasive information and changes of physical and social environment on attitudes of human beings are discussed.

In the second chapter the most important, the most expensive and the most controversial sphere of persuasion namely advertising is described. In this chapter the debate in advertising, the criticism and defence of advertising, the various definitions of advertising, as well as evolution, organisation and media of advertising are explained.

In chapter III is discussed propaganda, the sphere of persuasion that has an unpleasant connotation and bad reputation. In this chapter the concept of propaganda its various definitions and types and also counter-propaganda and vehicles of propaganda are described.

Chapter IV deals with the phenomenon and the necessity of our time. Public Relations, the subject which because of the growing complexity of civilisation is a must of every business, social, religious and political institutions. This chapter with various aspects of public relations such as its necessity, definitions, evolution as well as public relations organisations, research being led and for public relations. Besides public relations media are mentioned.

The second part of this Book deals with analysis and findings concerning similarities and differences within the sphere of persuasion. This part of Book also consists of four chapters (V-VI-VII and VIII).

In the chapter V the similarities and differences between the two main important spheres of persuasion, public relations and advertising being delineated and discussed. In this chapter the relation and the effects of these spheres on each other, as well as are described the similarities and differences between them.

Chapter VI deals with distinctions between advertising and propaganda. In this chapter the aspects of non-commercial advertising, political advertising, and anti-drug propaganda and commercial propaganda are discussed.

Chapter VII discusses the relations between marketing and advertising. In this chapter the importance of marketing to advertising that takes important part in the marketing process, sales promotion, marketing research and also advertising and marketing plans and objectives are mentioned.

Chapter VIII discusses another two controversial spheres of persuasion, propaganda and education and tries to make distinction in relation between them. In this chapter are explained religion, education and propaganda, national education understood as propaganda, the distinction between education and propaganda also the significance of educational propaganda for international relations.

After chapter VIII comes chapter nine which consists the conclusion of this Book. It brings the important ideas, remarks and the main suggestions of the Book.

Finally the chapter ten is the supplement in this Book. In this supplement the characteristic features of practitioners in different persuasions spheres are described. This supplement explains which desirable characteristics and what kind of education and knowledge are required for persuasion sphere activists for performing their activities successfully.

What is very clearly seen is the process of adoption of patterns or standards from countries that had longer tradition of practising democracy. It pertains first of all to the spheres of activity that have closer ties with market and economy. Persuasion undoubtedly belongs to such spheres with all activities surrounding it, belonging or akin to it.

In the process of taking over new patterns and/or standards some shifts or changes in meaning and understanding have been made. Remarkable is for instance expansion of some notions and at the same time abandoning other ones. In this context it is worthy to mention first of all enormous expansion of the notion (as well as the sphere) of advertising. And at the same time very clearly shown is shrinking the area of using the term propaganda that now more and more is getting obsolete and applied primarily for the purposes of description of the past events and realities.

From this perspective very interesting is the task of analysing relations between other spheres of activity that are in one or other way linked with the above mentioned. Meant are predominantly such spheres as public relations, marketing or education and their surroundings.

In this context there is no need for firstly: more detailed delineating boundaries between the spheres in question and secondly, better understanding the goals and objectives they are aiming at. It is needed because one observes many mistakes and misunderstandings connecting with these spheres. It is vital because the importance of at least some of these spheres grows tremendously.

PART ONE CHAPTER I – PERSUASION

We are constantly engaged in trying to transmit ideas to other people and also are continually expose on the receiving ideas from those around us and from that mass media. We all gradually learn what kind of effects our words are likely to have on our friends and associates and at the same time we learn methods of distinguishing among the persuasive information we receive, for example the important from the unimportant, the reliable from the unreliable and so on. For most of us, the range of knowledge about persuasion is limited to the situations we encounter in everyday life, but this is ordinarily sufficient.

There are, however, a number of professional groups that require a broader knowledge of the uses and effects of persuasion and sub-spheres. Those engaged in the practice of advertising, public relations, propaganda, education, marketing and religion must have broader knowledge because they make use of a wider range of media for the transmission of ideas and they also find it necessary to reach large number of widely different people in the cause of their professional activities. Yet professionals in the fields of persuasion spheres, like non-professionals ordinarily accumulate the specialized information that they need through practical experience. The seasoned politician or the expert in one of the persuasion spheres rarely looks too formal psychological or sociological theory when deciding what to do or what to say. On the basis of his past observations, he/she usually has a fairly good idea what kinds of information about his audience he will need and what his general course of action should be.

This is entirely appropriate, because at their prevent stage of development the social sciences cannot provide precise guidance for professional specialists in these fields. Much of the persuasion process remains an art; experience and creation imagination are often the most accurate guides to successful action.

The social sciences can, however, be useful as a supplement to experience. They can help to suggest new questions. That the practitioner should ask about situations confronting him; they can provide categories for codifying experience so that it will be more easily accessible; and they can assist in relating one body of experience to another.

EXAMPLES OF PERSUASION EFFECT AND NON-EFFECT

The files of advertisers, public relations practitioner, propagandists, broadcasters and opinion researchers are full of examples of the massive effects that mass media or gossip can have. Numerous experimental studies have found sweeping changes in attitudes following ex-pure to persuasions for example:

A women's magazine surveyed its readers to find how many of them were paying attention to a column on beauty tips and household matters. It was found that two million women followed the suggestion, recently given in this column, that they put their feet up for a few minutes at intervals throughout the day.

An experiment at the University of Iowa found newspaper editorials extremely effective in influencing student’s attitudes toward a former prime minister of Australia. Almost 100 percent of students who read „planted"editorials in the campus newspaper favouring Mr. Hughes and shifted their attitudes in a positive direction.

Nearly three-quarters of the wartime audience that saw a film about conditions in Naples changed their opinions about the advisability of sending food to Italy.

(Hovland I.C., Janis L.I., Kelley H.H., Communication and Persuasion; New Haven 1959)

By way of contrast, a great many instances can be found of occasions on which extensive advertising or propaganda campaigns seem to have had very little effect or no effect at all. For example: An all-out effort was made by a group of organizations in Cincinnati, Ohio, to acquaint the citizens of that city with facts about the United Nations. In spite of the full cooperation of mass media, advertisers and civic organizations during six months period of the campaign the survey showed that the campaign failed to raise the level of information of the people about the United Nations appreciably. Before the campaign 30 percent of the Cincinnati population had to be classified as knowing nothing about the United Nations and after the campaign the figure was only 28 percent.

A similar experiment on a smaller scale was conducted by a German opinion research institute in cooperation with the Stuttgart radio station. During a period of two years the station took every opportunity to familiarize its listeners with the name and compositions of the upper house of the German Federal Legislature (the Bundesrat), which previous research had shown could be identified correctly by only 10 percent of the audience. After one year and again after the second year, further surveys showed that there was no change in the proportion of the listeners who would correctly identify the Bundesrat.

A publisher who was favourably impressed with the sales of new book shortly after publication decided that with vigorous promotion it might be lifted to the ranks of bestsellers. He therefore greatly increased his advertising budget for the book, only to see sales drop precipitously during the following weeks.

As these examples suggest, there is no clear correlation between ex pure to an idea and its impact on knowledge, attitude or behaviour. No matter how intensive persuasion seems to be from the point of view of the persuader, there is no guarantee that it will have desired effect or indeed that it will have any effect at all.

Many professional and non-professional persuaders recognize this and therefore try to gauge the probable effect of the ideas they want to transmit by putting themselves in the place of the audience and asking such questions as: „How would I react to this message it I were on the receiving end?"

The process of getting inside someone else's skin and using someone else's head is a very difficult one and is rarely completely successful. It can, however, be somewhat facilitated if the persuader tries to understand the motivation of his audience and the ways in which the ideas he is transmitting will be useful to them. To this end he may ask: „If I were a member of the audience, how could I use this message? How would it help me do things I want to do"?

In short, he should know as much as possible about the needs of the people he is addressing and how they are trying to satisfy these needs. It may therefore be helpful to explain shortly in this stage, the basic needs human beings experience and how they shape their behaviour in an effort to achieve their goals.

THE SATISFACTION OF NEEDS

Nearly all actions a person takes can ultimately be traced to an effort to satisfy some basic want or need. There is imperfect agreement as to what these basic needs are, but in general human beings seek physical and mental well-being, affection, respect, skill, knowledge, security and power. The importance attached to each of these values varies