Madsen, JK; (2013) Prolegomena to a Theory and Model of Spoken Persuasion: A Subjective-Probabilistic Interactive Model of Persuasion (SPIMP). Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Various disciplines such as rhetoric, marketing, and psychology have explored persuasion as a social and argumentative phenomenon. The present thesis is predominantly based in cognitive psychology and investigates the psychological processes the persuadee undergoes when faced with a persuasive attempt. The exploration concludes with the development of a concrete model for describing persuasion processing, namely The Subjective-Probabilistic Interactive Model of Persuasion (SPIMP). In addition to cognitive psychology, the thesis relies on conceptual developments and empirical data from disciplines such as rhetoric, economics, and philosophy. The core model of the SPIMP relies on two central persuasive elements: content strength and source credibility. These elements are approached from a subjective perspective in which the persuadee estimates the probabilistic likelihood of how strong the content and how credible the source is. The elements, however, are embedded in a larger psychological framework such that the subjective estimations are contextual and social rather than solipsistic. The psychological framework relies on internal and external influences, the scope of cognition, and the framework for cognition. The SPIMP departs significantly from previous models of persuasion in a number of ways. For instance, the latter are dual-processing models whereas the SPIMP is an integrated single-process approach. Further, the normative stances differ since the previous models seemingly rely on a logicist framework whereas SPIMP relies on a probabilistic. The development of a new core model of persuasion processing constitutes a novel contribution. Further, the theoretical and psychological framework surrounding the elements of the model provides a novel framework for conceptualising persuasion processing from the perspective of the persuadee. Finally, given the multitude of disciplines connected to persuasion, the thesis provides a definition for use in future studies, which differentiates persuasion from argumentation, communicated information updating, and influence.

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