ABSTRACT
In an earlier chapter you learned how persuasion permeates all human interactions as we seek to accomplish our everyday goals, influence people to change their habits, buy a product, or even just watch the movie we prefer. Sometimes we’re intentionally persuading people, while at other times we may be influencing without being consciously aware of it. Many people are concerned that visual images including video and other technologies may be extremely powerful persuaders with potentially unintended consequences. For instance, if a child sees a video showing potentially risky behaviors-perhaps even a cool trick on a trampoline-might she be persuaded to emulate that behavior? Are we more susceptible to images than text in advertising or promotion? Considerable research shows that visuals have the potential to produce more positive attitudes toward brands and help consumers visualize themselves enjoying the benefits of a product (MacInnis & Price, 1987). You have no doubt seen thousands of political advertisements, excerpts of speeches, and photos and cartoons of political candidates. Again, research shows that most of us respond with higher levels of emotion to how candidates look and sound rather than what they say. In an era of easy sharing of messages on social and other media, photos and video have become overwhelmingly popular. This chapter discusses how social media images, memes, and videos communicate through various apps and on various platforms.
