Persuasion, Manipulation, and Seduction

The study of persuasion has been a topic highly researched for 100’s of years as it relates to human communication. Persuasion, manipulation and seduction are best described as cousins in a family tree of a genealogy. Although each term is different in meaning the end result of each are the similar. Depending on the information and the intentions of the persuader, this is how we can tell the difference from persuasion, manipulation, and seduction.

According to Codoban (2006), author of From persuasion to manipulation and seduction.

Persuasion is “the modification of convictions and attitudes through communication, with the purpose of influencing decisions, actions and behaviors corresponding to the intentions or interest of the persuading speaker – but only with the participation of consciousness, that is by assuming freely and consciously the responsibility (p. 151)

Communication “is the sharing or exchange of thought by oral, written, or nonverbal means” (Waltman, 1991). Human communication occurs when interaction between individuals take place with the purpose of causing some effect with a human recipient. According to Seiter, and Gass (2004), authors of Perspectives on persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining.

“In its most basic form, persuasion involves changing persons' mental states, usually as precursors to behavioral change. Of the various mental states that might be implicated in persuasion, attitude (understood as a person's general evaluation of an object) has been the center of research attention” (p. 32).

In other words, persuasion is the honest attempt to change the attitude of an individual. An example of this in my everyday life in regards to human communication occurs each time when my family and I, go to downtown Dallas to attend the local Farmers Market. There is a long line of vendors underneath a highway waiting to sell every fruit imaginable. Each vendor will pitch to you the benefits of their fruit and why you should use them instead of the other vendors. Some of the benefits are being grown organically and locally grown. Usually persuasion does not use outside interferences to help influence the decision of a conscience or sane human being. Persuasion research is based upon a patchwork quilt of perspectives, some that can be characterized as “umbrella” theories accounting for a wide variety of persuasive phenomena and some representing “micro” theories that explain specific forms of influence in very limited circumstances (Seiter 2004, p. 45). One theory that the text describes as a process in the model of persuasion is the Elaboration Likelihood Theory (ELM) which is “The elaboration continuum is based on a person's motivation and ability to think about and assess the qualities of the issue-relevant information available in the persuasion context” (Seiter 2004 p. 67). Attitude change goes hand in hand with the ELM and affects two characteristics which are the central and peripheral. According to Seiter and Gass (2004),

“These two processors have in common is the relatively low amount of thought involved in attitude change. The ELM specifies that whether attitude change occurs by the central or the peripheral route has important implications for the strength of the resulting attitude. The central route uses more elaboration, and is thought of having longer persuasive effects than the peripheral route which requires less elaboration, relying more on “intuitive references” (p.67).

Persuasion in general is good natured until delivered by the wrong persuader which then changes the nature of the intended message of what is trying to be persuaded within human communication.

Another way the human communication interacts with persuasion is through Manipulation. Manipulation occurs when a person makes a decision based on not disclosing complete actualities that hinders a person from making an informed decision. My daughter tries to manipulate my wife and me by asking one after the other for her favorite snack which is Oreo Cookies. As a result of repeated manipulation ploys my wife and I do not buy Oreo Cookies anymore in order to stop our daughter from being deceitful. Manipulation is often confusing due to the thin line of persuasion, and the underlying tactics of seduction. Manipulation is more defined in regards to the fact the end result is the same as the beginning result intended by the persuader. Manipulation does not inform the audience to therefore resulting in deceitful tactics. Seduction is the same as manipulation but to a stronger degree of an unethical process. Seduction uses hidden agenda to lure unknowingly individuals into a cognitive trap of despair. Seduction will make you feel as though you are right and no other way is wrong until late after you see the true picture of what the persuader is portraying. The difference between seduction and manipulation goes as follows. A married man takes a lunch break for an hour and goes to a strip club with the intentions of obtaining the free lunch special. The married man goes inside, sits down and has a meal. Without regard to the environment the married man has been seduced by the women to finish his meal fast, in order to enjoy a lap dance by a young lady dressed in her “birthday suit.” As a result the married man has several drinks and does not return to work, resulting in the termination of work. The married man was manipulated by the environment at the strip and seduced by the young ladies walking around naked. Seduction has an appeal a focus on a specific subject while the benefits are empty. Unlike persuasion the benefits can be appealing; seduction traps are more subtle and discreet. Manipulations have certain techniques that encode an individual such as free samples, and buy one get one free in order to capture the attention to persuade the consumer. Seduction on the other hand is used by the women at the strip club in order to detour the attention of the married man from eating lunch to enjoying a lap dance. Other devices of seduction are in classified ads from your local newspaper.

There are modern day persuasive devices around us all the time. In politics we see persuasive devices such as smear campaigns in order to try and get the opposites to join their political party.

“The object of seduction and the object that seduces, is the object of desire” and “reciprocity, the consistency mechanism and social proof principle (Codoban 2006, p.154)

The demographics of each audience for, persuasion, manipulation, and seduction are not limited to age, gender, culture, or education. The audience will be affected by the intended message if attitude, motivation, or ability is beleaguered blurring the process to comprehend a message.

Persuasion, manipulation, and seduction are very similar in terms of end result, the only difference is the technique taken by the persuader. The person persuading and the way a person presents information, plays a part in the human communication and decision making process. Although each term is different in meaning the end result of each are the similar. Depending on the information and the intentions of the persuader, this is how we can tell the difference from persuasion, manipulation, and seduction.

Reference Page

Codoban, A. (2006). From Persuasion to manipulation and seduction. (a very short history of global communication). JSRI, 14, 151-158.Seiter, John E., and Gass, Robert H. (2004), Perspectives on Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining, Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education, Inc.Smeltzer, Larry R., and John L. Waltman, et al. Managerial Communication: A Strategic Approach. Needham, MA: Ginn Press, 1991.