Persuasion in Social Psychology

¶ … podium, flagrantly flanked by four American flags, John Kerry shakes his fist in apparent anger. "Three million jobs lost!" The scene cuts to a profile of Kerry continuing his statement, "That is an astonishing failure." Within ten seconds, viewers of the John Kerry presidential campaign ad know that the candidate is trying to appeal to blue collar workers, members of the middle class or any citizen concerned about the needs of the working class. The Kerry advertisement from February 22, 2004, posted on his website http://www.johnkerry.com/videos/console.php?video=031204_misleadingand entitled "Jobs Lost," appeals to the majority of working class Americans. The ad is specifically geared for those who care about job security and who fear the repercussions of overseas outsourcing and tax breaks for the corporate culture.

Amid photo ops of Kerry shaking hands with hardhat-wearing workers, the soothing male voice-over states, "John Kerry's got the strength and experience to fight for America's jobs." Kerry dons a dress shirt and looks quintessentially New England; there is nothing to indicate that he really does have the "strength and experience to fight for America's jobs." However, the verbal statements are designed to appeal to the viewer's logical, conscious, rational self and are thus indicative of central processing. Likewise, when the director cuts to another shot of Kerry in his monkey suit behind a presidential-looking podium, the candidate appears authoritative, knowledgeable, and presidential. The viewer's thought processes scream, "There is a man who believes in our cause AND who has what it takes to lead a nation."

When Kerry states, again behind a row of stars and stripes, "We need to be on the side of America's workers," the viewer is sucked into Kerry's image as a working class supporter, a champion of the middle class. Although Kerry's dress and appearance belie his statements, the ad's central message persuades viewers to believe in Kerry's message. Neither Kerry nor his voice-over defend his personal record and neither divulge any information about Kerry actually working in a steel factory or processing plant. According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which distinguishes between central and peripheral processing routes of persuasion, this ad depends on both central and peripheral modes. Both modes are equally as effective in this particular ad, yet both appear equally artificial.

Print and voice-over state, "His plan: to end tax breaks that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas...New incentives to create and keep god jobs here...a real plan to get health care costs under control." During these statements, shots of babies and other campaign standards lure voters into believing Kerry's sincerity. However, the ad falls short of being entirely effective. While it uses peripheral cues to appeal to the working class, it fails to employ enough central processing routes to reinforce rational support of the campaign. Simply stating "We need to be on the side of America's workers" isn't enough to encourage voters to punch the button beside Kerry's name. If the candidate provided some specific examples as to how he helped American workers or how he himself experienced the plight of the working class, voters could use more central processing and would therefore be more inclined to change their voting habits. However, because Kerry's ad appeals mostly to peripheral processors, any change in attitude would be superficial.