Source Credibility Aristotles ethos 3 components of credibility

Source Credibility • Aristotle’s ethos. • 3 components of credibility are expertise, dynamism/ charisma and sincerity. • These are not fixed attributes of a given source rather they are how the audience chooses to see them. • We must determine which type of credibility is most important to our target public.

Source credibility- cont’ • In today’s media, source equals celebrity, charisma and expertise go hand in hand. • But it is expensive. • Need to check out the source’s other commitment so that there is no ‘shadow’ effect. • Overshadowing of the company and product by the celebrity source.

Principles of source credibility 1. Highly credible sources will produce more persuasive effect than low credibility sources. 2. Credibility is not something a source has; it’s the receiver’s perception of the source. 3. Credibility is not a fixed entity. 4. Credibility is linked to external factors. 5. Credibility is linked to internal factors.

Factors that influence credibility • To increase credibility sources should pay attention to situation variables. • Sources can also enhance credibility by assuring that the receivers have all info’ about the source. • Sources must construct well-supported, organized messages and presented in a professional manner. • Give careful consideration to the effects of the channel.

What could a source do? People want good reasons for changing their attitude and beliefs, and the proof requisites for taking action steps are even more demanding. People look for proof even for a change which is deemed good.

Statistical Evidence Eg: car purchase. • Statistics persuade best when they are simple & easy to understand.

Narrative & Anecdotes • Narratives makes examples come alive and make them easy to recall and relate to. • Eg: the story of a person rising from rags to riches persuades more than a set of statistics.

Testimony • People tend to suspect any kind of persuasion using only emotion/feelings or brainstorming. • Testimony of another person is valuable.

Visual Evidence • On-spot demo is not always possible/ feasible. • Visual evidence such as graphs/ charts help audience understand the problem. • It should be simple and unobtrusive.

Comparison & Contrast • Issues can be seen from only one viewpoint/ perspective. Not very accurate. • So provide something to compare and contrast. . • The comparison should help the audience see the difference between two sides of the issue.

Endorsement • Third-party endorsement. • Media endorsement usually unpaid can come through editorials, review, surveys & news stories. • The idea is that media coverage bestows legitimacy and newsworthiness on a product or service.

Tutorial 3 1. Define proof. What constitutes adequate proof for you? Does it change from issue to issue? If so, in what ways? 2. What are some of the ways in which testimony can be misused? Give example. 3. What are some of the ways in which statistics can be misused? Give example.