The Petty and Cacioppo elaboration probability model

Persuasion is the ability that some people have to transmit ideas, and that these are finally shared, accepted and disseminated by the recipient of the message.

Thus, to persuade implies the ability to convince others, and it is a tool that is used especially in the field of advertising, sales and marketing.

The Elaboration Probability Model was created by Petty and Cacioppo. (1983,1986) and addresses the theme of persuasion, within social psychology and organizations. Try to explain how people are persuaded, and in what way. Let's see what it consists of.

• Related article: "Persuasion: definition and elements of the art of convincing"

Elaboration probability model: characteristics

The elaboration probability model was a milestone in persuasion studies, as it integrated previous attitude models. His goal was to create a model that grouped the contributions of previous persuasive theories.

The theories that the elaboration probability model brings together are: Yale's communication theory based on the sequence: source, message, channel and receiver, McGuire's theory (1968), the contributions of implication (Krugman, 1966), judgment theory (Sherif et al., 1981), the heuristic model (Chaiken, 1980), and, to a lesser extent, expectation-by-value models (Ajzen, 1975).

It was in the 1980s (in the decade of its creation) when the elaboration probability model was empirically demonstrated. this was done from the study of advertisements, which were used as experimental stimuli.

Although 30 years have passed since the model appeared, it is still being applied today for different investigations, such as the study of Internet persuasion.

• You may be interested in: "What is social psychology?"

Components: aspects of persuasion

There are four central ideas or components in the Petty and Cacioppo model of elaboration probability.

1. continuation

People's attitudes or other judgments can be modified to varying degrees, through a continuum of elaboration, which goes from "low" to "high". That is, their beliefs can be modified slightly or intensely, including intermediate points.

2. Specific change processes

Along this continuum various specific processes of change can occur.

For example, classical conditioning or simple exposure (mere exposure effect) occurs, when the required thought is low or little elaborated. These processes will be at the low end of the continuum.

On the contrary, models of cognitive response and expectation are produced by value when a high degree of thinking is required (more complex thinking, which requires more cognitive effort). These will be at the high end of the continuum.

2.1. Routes

At the brain level, two types of routes exist and are used: peripheral and central.

2.1.1. peripheral route

A peripheral route is followed when the processes involved are at a lower level of the continuum. This route focuses on peripheral aspects of the message, that is, less important aspects, details, etc.

The fact of following a peripheral route implies little involvement on the part of the receiver, less mental effort and short-term changes in their attitudes.

2.1.2. middle route

Instead, a central route is followed when the processes involved are at a high level of the continuum.

This route implies greater involvement and mental effort on the part of the receiver, which focuses on more central and elaborate aspects of the message, as well as lasting changes in their attitudes (in the long term).

2.1.3. Complementarity of routes

The fact of finally persuading the receiver is determined by a mixture of the two processes; that is to say, there is no separation or dichotomy, but both processes complement each other according to the characteristics of the message and other variables.

3. Consequences of the judgment

The result of the processing levels (if they are high or low), determine the consequences of the recipient's judgment. That is, if the judgment is based on thinking about the merits (the merits of what the sender wants to persuade us about), there are more chances that such a judgment will persist over time, better resist attempts to change it, and generate consequences for other judgments and behaviors.

The model of the probability of elaboration, according to the variables that can affect the attitude of the receiver, organizes several specific processes.

For example, the appeal of the source or the emotion felt will influence the amount of thought that a person has, placing them at a point on the continuum higher or lower.

However, if circumstances have already placed the person previously at the low level, the variables can serve as simple cues, affecting attitudes in a direction that is consistent with their Valencia.

Conversely, if the person is at the high level of the continuum, there are three other ways in which the variable can affect judgments:

• By argument or evidence; for example, the attractiveness or the emotion felt
• Affecting the valence of thoughts that come to mind, for example, more positive thoughts,
• Affecting structural factors of the thoughts generated; for example, having more confidence towards one's own thoughts.

model variables

exist Various Variables in the Elaboration Probability Model, which determine how the message will be processed and whether persuasion will ultimately occur:

• Processing motivation / Information need.
• Processability.
• Depth of thought elaboration.
• Positivity of the cognitive response.

Bibliographic references:

• Petty, R. and Cacioppo, J. (1983). Central and peripheral routes to persuasion. application to advertising. In: Percy, L. and Woodside, A. (eds). Advertising and consumer psychology. Lexington Books, Mass.
• Stiff, J. (1985). Cognitive processing of Persuasive Message Cues. A Meta Analytic Review of the Effects of Supporting Information on Attitudes. Michigan: Michigan State University.
• Hogg, M. (2010). Social psychology. VAUGHAN-GRAHAM M. PANAMERICANA, Publisher: PANAMERICANA
• Leon, J.J. (2014). Validity and extensions of the elaboration probability model (ELM). For a persuasive field theory in advertising. adComunica. Magazine of Strategies, Trends and Innovation in Communication, 8.