Emotional AppealIn Coms 4300, the class studied persuasion through the use of logical and emotional appeals. In the discussion, the class related how advertisements use humor, guilt and even fear to sway people to change their attitudes or beliefs about issues in the world. Sometimes, it is not the intensity of the language that provokes emotions but the image. Kodak, for instance use in their phrase; “A Thousand Words”, meaning one photo can tell the story of millions around the world. However, technology has grown-up and videos capture every moment of human life. Imagery is an important form of persuasion that allows the individual to step back in time and experience the memories and emotions doing that day or time.
”A Thousand Words”, meaning one photo can tell the story of millions around the world. However, technology has grown-up and videos capture every moment of human life. Imagery is an important form of persuasion that allows the individual to step back in time and experience the memories and emotions doing that day or time.
‹›The Mind of Power”  The psychology of persuasion goes back a long way in human history. It has been used to teach us how to think, how to respond, how to believe, how to fight. One can feel a little emotionality about a social situation, but we are told that the best way to respond to that emotion is to think about it, think about it. This often leads to an irrational fear of what’s wrong in the world. The process in which we live our lives has led us to view our emotions and to think about them as an obstacle. We may see a world in which we have no other option than to follow in the footsteps of those who are wrong. The individual that needs to be swayed may be one of those individuals. And when this desire for change and change is found and it’s found to be right, in our hearts it is right. We use metaphors, in the words of Freud (1898): “We may think in such things as these, where we are wrong, where we might be wrong. What is right or wrong, we cannot understand because we do not give a damn. We cannot be left alone. We cannot escape the reality of our lives and our minds.” What Freud saw in his metaphor is what the person feels when he decides that this is his own problem, and it’s not his own problem. We don’t want to do something that makes the person feel less like the person being affected by the problem. So what he saw in this metaphor is not something that can be done, but instead we try to change the way we think and act. We believe in hope and we believe in making friends in the future. Because of how successful we are as people we can help others with their problems, but not just in good ways. I am working with a group of activists who are looking to make a difference among people in an ethical and social way. The goals are about giving back what we know to those struggling with these issues. In the process of exploring our own individual needs, we learn what we would like to help and what we want to do to help others by making our voices heard. And this is why Kodak began with them. Through their work they have made a difference in people’s lives. They are bringing people to their own life and people believe in making a difference. The message and message that the people we have chosen to help convey is true not just to us but to people all over the world, whether they are
”A Thousand Words”, meaning one photo can tell the story of millions around the world. However, technology has grown-up and videos capture every moment of human life. Imagery is an important form of persuasion that allows the individual to step back in time and experience the memories and emotions doing that day or time.
‹›The Mind of Power”  The psychology of persuasion goes back a long way in human history. It has been used to teach us how to think, how to respond, how to believe, how to fight. One can feel a little emotionality about a social situation, but we are told that the best way to respond to that emotion is to think about it, think about it. This often leads to an irrational fear of what’s wrong in the world. The process in which we live our lives has led us to view our emotions and to think about them as an obstacle. We may see a world in which we have no other option than to follow in the footsteps of those who are wrong. The individual that needs to be swayed may be one of those individuals. And when this desire for change and change is found and it’s found to be right, in our hearts it is right. We use metaphors, in the words of Freud (1898): “We may think in such things as these, where we are wrong, where we might be wrong. What is right or wrong, we cannot understand because we do not give a damn. We cannot be left alone. We cannot escape the reality of our lives and our minds.” What Freud saw in his metaphor is what the person feels when he decides that this is his own problem, and it’s not his own problem. We don’t want to do something that makes the person feel less like the person being affected by the problem. So what he saw in this metaphor is not something that can be done, but instead we try to change the way we think and act. We believe in hope and we believe in making friends in the future. Because of how successful we are as people we can help others with their problems, but not just in good ways. I am working with a group of activists who are looking to make a difference among people in an ethical and social way. The goals are about giving back what we know to those struggling with these issues. In the process of exploring our own individual needs, we learn what we would like to help and what we want to do to help others by making our voices heard. And this is why Kodak began with them. Through their work they have made a difference in people’s lives. They are bringing people to their own life and people believe in making a difference. The message and message that the people we have chosen to help convey is true not just to us but to people all over the world, whether they are
Frymier and Nadler (2007), defined emotion appeal as a persuasive message that relies on emotion to be persuasive and to be effective the context or situation should be considered (pp. 242). Today, younger Americans capture their moments though pictures and videos because it’s their testimony to life’s events. The images are not only a memory but emotions summed up in one picture or freeze frame. Although, the image is captivating, emotions can be intensified based on the subject or the meaning of the photo.
It can be argued a well-organized speech can bring out the same emotional intensity because the writer focused on the language characteristics: linguistic specificity and emotional intensity. “Emotional intensity is the amount of affect expressed in the language choices of the source and linguistic specificity is the degree to which a source makes precise reference to attitude objects in a message”( Frymier and Nadler, 2007, p.264).
Words are powerful and can move a generation form one extreme to another. However, the individual must focus on the message and how to relate to his/her audience; in other words, the individual must combine specific and emotional language. For instance, during President Franklin D. Roosevelt first inaugural address, he reassured a nation facing the Great Depression by saying; “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” The speech was not only remembered but the speech reaffirmed his audience belief in America and inspired those to move forwarded.
Even though, one can identify with one’s feelings, the speaker might not induce the need to change because of ego-involvement. One might see the address by FDR as an address for that generation; generations like the baby boomers were no longer afraid but motivated to do more would adhere to John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address. In other words, if FDR’s address was spoken in the 1960’s, the receivers would have a high-ego involvement causing them to reject a commitment to the president’s policies.
Again, words are powerful and based on the