ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role communicator characteristics play in the process of persuasion. It discusses several that past research has identified as being important to social influence. The chapter also discusses ways in which a communicator might analyze and adapt to an audience when trying to be persuasive. It describes several communicator characteristics that affect the process of persuasion. The chapter examines demographic variables, noting that some influence the sending and receiving of persuasive messages, whereas others do not appear to be related to influenceability. It shows how several psychological and communication states and traits that is, self-esteem, anxiety, preference for consistency, self-monitoring, ego involvement, dogmatism, authoritarianism, social vigilantism, narcissism, cognitive complexity, need for cognition, and aggression, influence persuasive communication. The chapter also examines the notion of audience analysis, indicating that persuaders, when possible, should attempt to adapt to the needs, wants, backgrounds, and so forth of their audiences.
