Read the description below of Jeff's attempts to persuade his wife Marla to buy a HDTV and use the information to answer the following questions.
Note: You should answer all the questions to get full credit for your essay.
• What would the elaboration likelihood model have to say about this example?
• What elements from the communication-persuasion paradigm are reflected in this example?
• Identify the kinds of persuasion strategies used by Jeff. What factors make him more likely to succeed at persuading Marla? What factors make that less likely?
• Use the sociological concepts, perspectives, and findings from the chapter that support your judgment. Be sure to indicate whether those refer to the source, the target, or the message.
• Also cite excerpts from the text that reflect those elements.
Jeff has had his eye on a flat-screen plasma HDTV that he really wants to get before the playoffs. Unfortunately, Jeff's wife, Marla, has other plans for their meager joint savings. Jeff has tried in the past, without much luck, to persuade Marla they should buy this TV. Marla has actually thought carefully about the purchase herself and has researched the issues; each time she has argued that prices will eventually come down and the technology is still too new. She believes they should wait to buy the TV. However, today Jeff has struck pay dirt.
The latest issue of Consumer Reports magazine has just arrived, and it has an article rating various HDTVs. The article points out the pros and cons of HDTVs but finally argues that now is a good time to buy one and gives the HDTV that Jeff wants to buy a very favorable ranking. Marla is a big believer in Consumer Reports, so Jeff asks Marla to read the article and discuss the TV yet one more time. Marla remains reluctant.
Jeff, getting a bit irritated, tries to "sweeten the pot" by reminding Marla that having the TV will make it more likely that Jeff will spend more time at home with her, because his friends will probably now want to come to their house and watch the big games on the new TV. At this point, Marla storms out of the room muttering something about Jeff's crude football buddies and the last thing she wants to do is spend her time waiting on them.
Objectives:
1. Which route to persuasion does Marla use? Be sure to quote or paraphrase a passage from the the short story that illustrates the route to persuasion.
2. Which aspects of communication-persuasion paradigm fit the short story? Be sure to quote or paraphrase the appropriate parts of the short story.
3. Which aspects of Jeff's persuasion attempt make persuasion likely?
4. Which aspects of Jeff's persuasion attempt make persuasion unlikely?