Over the years, several techniques have been adapted to improve the success of human communication. Some use the “I Language” technique to help communication come off less offensively. Some use hand gestures to amplify their message and others use persuasion, manipulation and seduction.
Let’s first address about manipulation. Manipulation is void of honesty and usually full of deceit. It is often used as a persuasion method in speeches, everyday conversations and in the advertising field. Any message that disguises the truth gives me reason to worry. I believe there is no justification for companies or professionals to use manipulation. It is unethical. Ethics is defined as moral principles that guide judgments about good and bad, right and wrong not just effectiveness or efficiency (Shockley –Zalabak, 2009). For example, the weight loss advertisements pry on people’s extreme desire to lose weight. Some companies who do not believe in ethical behavior but rather the almighty dollar broadcast commercials that promise rapid weight gain without dieting. However, they are untrue. They display overweight people losing weight and feeling great in unrealistic time spans. Desperate viewers feed into the manipulation technique only to find out the program or product does not work. Representatives may even convince you to give it more time; results take longer for some people. You continue to waste more money until you come to the realization you were scammed.
Manipulation plays with people’s minds, causing them to believe a falsity. Advertisers, publishers, tabloid magazines, even corporate executives have got away with it for way too long.
Seduction is another form of trickery. It is ubiquitous. It sells advertising, movies, television shows, magazines, internet sites, practically every form of communication media. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak. People continue to utilize seducing techniques because it brings in profits. Many advertisers are using sexual seduction to sell anything from a mop to a pack of beer. You can not flip on the television without seeing a seductive message or hearing one on the radio. Commercials rely on the fact everyone wants to feel sexy, attractive and have a partner of some kind. Seduction has another powerful advantage because it attracts a wide consumer audience, impartial to gender, sex or age.
I do not consider all seduction methods unethical. I do think it can get out of hand. Advertisers need to set boundaries on when to broadcast ads that contain sexual innuendos. I do not think those type of messages are suitable for kids. Unfortunately they are not an excluded target audience.
Persuasion is an attempt to influence. However, we need to be persuaded to participate in the right activities, believe in the right ideas and engage in the right behavior. Most importantly we need to be ethical in our attempts to persuade. According to the International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, early research suggested women were more easily persuaded. Although, recent research suggests one’s knowledge about a topic makes them more susceptible to persuasion. We all have participated in both sides of persuasion. We have been the one trying to change someone else’s’ mind and we know all too well what it is like to succeed at altering someone else’s’ mind. Let’s improve the process by eliminating manipulation and seduction. Let’s begin to deliver messages with honesty. What could possibly go wrong, someone changes their mind?
Gass, R.H. & Seiter, J.S. (2004). Persuasion, Social Influence and Compliance Gaining. Boston: Pearson.
"Persuasion." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Retrieved March 08, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045301929.html
Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2009). Fundamentals of Organizational Communication: Knowledge, Sensitivity, Skills, Values (7th ed.) Boston: Pearson.
Trenholm, S. (2008). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
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