List and describe how two factors concerning the communicator of the message that can influence persuasion.

List and describe how two factors concerning the communicator of the message that can influence persuasion.

Attractiveness & Credibility

ho is giving the message is crucial. One of the first issues we consider is the credibility of the source. Expert and trustworthy communicators appear to be more believable. We believe LeBron James when he says that his Nike basketball shoes made him a better player. We believe dentists who tell us we should chew sugar-free gum. Of course there is always the element that these people are being paid by a company, so the source has to overcome this potential biasing factor.

The attractiveness of the source is also important. It is not surprising that the most successful politicians also tend to be relatively attractive. Arguments are often more influential when they come from beautiful people. Similarity is also very important: We respond better to a message from people in our own group. You may notice this when you suddenly discover some common traits between you and a salesperson. The salesperson may have the same hobbies as you, or may own a shirt you are considering buying. We trust people who are similar to us. And we like them.

This shouldn't be surprising to you. If you go to meet a professional (let's say a professor), and they are wearing a suit jacket, you might tend to think they are more credible than a professor wearing jeans and a t-shirt. If a professor is confident when lecturing, you might tend to think of them as more of an expert than if they're stammering and unsure.