Persuasion, Manipulation, and Seduction

Communication is a subject that has been study for many centuries.  The ancient Greeks took pride in becoming great orators in the world of communication.  Aristotle, a Greek philosopher and scientist, and one of the greatest intellectual figures of Western history (Amadio, 2013) study the art of rhetoric or as we know: communication.  The type of rhetoric Aristotle focused his attention was of a persuasive nature.  He theorized the best way an orator could sway his audience was by means of personal character/credibility (ethos), logic of the message (logos), and connecting through emotion (pathos) (Trenholm, 2011, p. 4).  His teachings have traveled through the centuries to be studied even today.  The world of persuasive study has opened many “cans of worms.”  It has been dissected and examined from numerous angles; however we will gaze at the differences between persuasion, manipulation, and seduction.

According to an article in the Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, Aurel Codoban (2006) states, “persuasion is the process by which a person's attitudes or behaviors are, without duress, influenced by other people through communication” (p. 151).  In the same article, Codoban points out that “the ancient Greek persuasion is a kind of communication based on the presence of consciousness, on reasoning and logical argument: the persuaded person pays attention to what is communicated and comprehends it…” (p. 154).  One of the persuasive theories recognized today, Social Judgment Theory, has a similar view point of what persuasion entails; “focus[ing] on how people evaluate persuasive messages and how such evaluations affect whether or not persuasion occurs” (Seiter & Gass, 2004, p. 54).  This theory states that a person has a preferred position, an anchor point, or a psychological benchmark where all communication is weighed (2004, p. 55).  The individual deciphers the given message against their anchor point to arrive to their decision.  From reviewing the above, one would come to understand, throughout history and even today, persuasion is looked upon as a conscious, mental effort where the individual has the opportunity to choose, without duress or coercion, whether to concede or not to the given message.  Persuasion deals with the individual.

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary (2014) defines manipulate as: “To manage or utilize skillfully; to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage; to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose.”  Referencing back to the article from the Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, Codoban (2006) tells us about a few manipulation techniques.  He speaks about reciprocity. One example he gives is when free samples of food items are given out to taste.  This is done in the hopes that the consumer will purchase some of the sampled items.  When items are purchased by the customer, Codoban states, this action engages the rule of reciprocity (p. 153).   The free sample (viewed as a gift) caused the individual to return the gesture.  Another technique he mentions is “the-door-in-the-face;” ask for something too big, and then get the thing you wanted” (p. 153).  A good example of this is travel sales.  The sales person pitches this wonderful and luxurious vacation package for an enormous amount of money.  After you have declined the offer, the sales person will continue to reduce the amount of the package and perks until you have agreed to a sale.  The premise here: The sales person probably sold you what they wanted you to buy from the onset.  By starting with a larger number from the beginning and decreasing that number induced one to think they were receiving a better deal which produced a sale.  Codoban states the rule of reciprocity is represented here as well.  When the sales person presented a sensible offer and concession, buyers felt the need to reciprocate.  Codoban talks about “manipulation appeals to the cultural programming of an individual; stereotypes of thinking, frames and schemes” (sales/marketing, political campaign) are considered to be a prior encoding of an individual (p. 154).   Because of this encoding, manipulation has a chance to manifest its powers to sway, for there is no deciphering of the given message against an anchor point or psychological benchmark to arrive to a deliberate decision.  Unlike persuasion, the response is automatic; lacking conscious mental effort, and attention.   A persuasive theory that could play here is Mere Exposure Theory (ME): “The repeated exposure to an unfamiliar stimulus can in and of itself increase positive affect toward the stimulus” (Zajonc, 1968).   Some scholars believe there is little thought involved; it is automatic, unconscious processing  (Seiter & Gass, 2004, p. 49). Manipulation wants to destroy free choice.   When brought to this level a subject-object relationship has been developed (p. 154).

Our last focus is seduction.  Merriam Webster’s Dictionary (2014) defines seduction as the act of seducing…; something that seduces; temptation; something that attracts or charms.  In the game of seduction the subject or seducer offers their self as the object of desire.  This seducer presents a promise (never fulfilled) to entice or lure one into thinking they will receive some level of happiness, success, and/or pleasure.  Seduction like manipulation appeals to the masses.  It focus is in communication of advertisement, commercials, and movies (2006, p. 155).  However, “seduction is closer to persuasion than manipulation, because… [its] focus is on a subject (individual) even if the seducer becomes an object” (2006, p. 155).

Understanding some framework of persuasion, manipulation, and seduction, it is apparent which one of these influences you would want to be party to.  No one wants to be manipulated or seduced into a situation.  To undergo the process of persuasion appears to be a normal process of everyday life, in every facet of our lives; to actively engage in communication where a person's attitudes or behaviors are, without duress, influenced by other people (Codoban, 2006, p. 151).

References

Amadio, T. R. (2013, December 23). Aristotle. Retrieved from Encyclopaedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/34560/

Aristotle AshfordStudentBlogger. (2012). Persuasion, Manipulation, & Seduction. Photo retrieved from ashfordstudentblog.blogspot: http://ashfordstudentblog.blogspot.com/p/persuasion-manipulation-seduction.html

Codoban, A. (2006). From persuasion to manipulation and seducation. (A very short history of global communication). Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 151-158.

Manipulate. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manipulate

Seduction. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seduction

Seiter, J. S., & Gass, R. H. (2004). Perspectives on persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

Trenholm, S. (2011). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication. Boston: Pearson.

Zajonc, R. B. (1968). Attitude effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social

            Psychology Monograph Supplement, 9, (2, Pt. 2), 1-28.