Persuasive Communication

“A person’s overt action, mannerisms, habits and nonverbal cues can be used to infer attitudes.” (Gass and Seiter, 2007, p.47) This suggests behaviour is consistent with and reflects our attitudes – but does it? Discuss in light of relevant theory and scholarly research.

This essay aims to discuss the relationship between attitude and behaviour drawing up real world examples and scholarly research to contextualise this relationship. Once this relationship has been discussed the identification of other factors that play a role in this relationship will be analysed. Theoretical mechanisms on how attitudes guide behaviour will also be examined. The essay will then go on to discuss the contention surrounding the relationship between attitude and behaviour before concluding with key findings and recommendations on the relationship.

According to Sharp (cited in Franzen 1999) “Attitude stands for a general and lasting (consistent over time) positive, neutral or negative evaluation of a person, object, institution or event. The possibilities for changing attitudes are somewhat limited. Attitudes are relatively stable: they do change but very slowly.” The fundamental assumption of persuasion is that is that if a message changes your attitude, your new attitudes in turn will influence your behaviour. Television and other forms of commercial advertising for example clearly make this assumption. Adverts tell consumers the amazing qualities of a product because the advertiser wants the consumer to buy this product but if attitudes could be changed that easily to induce a certain behaviour then the world would be a different place.

In 1934 LaPiere conducted an experiment on hotel managers attitude towards Chinese guests while travelling across the western United States. He found out that American hotel managers generally had an unfavourable opinion and response towards Chinese guests. His study involved a Chinese couple who asked for rooms in more than 200 hotels and they...