The type of route processing we use depends in part on our motivation to dedicate time and energy to understanding and evaluating the message. We are more likely to be motivated when evaluating issues that will affect our well-being greatly and that line up with our interests and goals, so we are more likely to use central route processing in those cases.

Motivation and Route Processing Types

The type of route processing we use depends, in part, on our cognitive resources. Someone who is knowledgeable about a subject and who has sufficient time to evaluate a message will most likely use central route processing.

Ability and Route Processing Use

University of Delaware

The central route to persuasion is a logic-driven process that uses data and facts to convince an audience. This direct route is effective when the audience is motivated and analytical, leading them to engage in high-effort processing of the message's quality and arguments. For this route to succeed, the argument must be strong, and if it is, the result is a lasting change in attitude.

Central Route to Persuasion

The peripheral route to persuasion is an indirect method that leverages peripheral cues to create a positive association with a message. Rather than relying on factual arguments about a product's quality, this route uses positive emotions and celebrity endorsements to influence the audience. This approach requires minimal cognitive effort from the audience, who do not need to be analytical or motivated. While it can foster positive feelings towards a product or message, the resulting change in attitude or behavior is typically less permanent and may even occur without the audience's conscious awareness.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Gilovich, T., Keltner, D., Chen, S., &amp; Nisbett, R. E. (2019). Social psychology. W. w. Norton &amp; Company. 

Social Psychology

Determinants of Route Processing Use

An example of the central route to persuasion is a car company's advertisement that focuses on objective data and facts to influence potential buyers. Instead of using celebrity endorsements, the ad would highlight the car's superior safety features and high fuel economy, appealing to the consumer's logic and analytical thinking.

Example of Central Route Persuasion: Car Advertisement

The central route to persuasion is particularly effective for products like computers, where the target audience is likely to be analytical. For instance, small business owners would be highly influenced by advertisements that focus on the computer's quality and technical specifications, such as its processing speed and memory capacity.

Example of Central Route Persuasion: Computer Purchase

A company is marketing a new home solar panel system. Their campaign focuses on providing detailed infographics about the system's energy efficiency, charts comparing its long-term durability against competitors, and a calculator on their website to estimate a homeowner's potential monthly savings. Analyze this campaign: What kind of audience is being targeted, and what specific elements of the campaign are designed to appeal to their decision-making process?

Analysis of a Marketing Strategy

A common example of the peripheral route to persuasion is when a popular athlete is featured in an advertisement for athletic shoes. This strategy aims to encourage young adults to buy the shoes by associating the product with the positive characteristics of the celebrity, rather than focusing on the shoe's features or quality.

Example of Peripheral Route Persuasion: Athlete Advertising Shoes

An example of the peripheral route in the fashion industry is when a retailer promotes clothing by highlighting celebrities who wear the same style. This tactic persuades consumers by associating the clothing with the attractiveness and status of the celebrity, rather than the garment's quality or price.

Example of Peripheral Route Persuasion: Celebrity Clothing Endorsement

The physical location of products in a supermarket can be a powerful tool to manipulate consumers. Staples such as milk, bread, and eggs are often placed at opposite ends of a supermarket to force consumers to spend more time in the store. Children's brands tend to be located on the bottom shelf, with the hope that children will ask their parents to purchase those products themselves. The most expensive items are usually located at eye level, and the entire layout of a supermarket will likely be arranged multiple times a year to force even experienced customers to browse through the store's selection to find what they are looking for.

Product Placement

Political campaign buttons, as depicted in Photograph A, serve as an example of the peripheral route to persuasion. Instead of presenting complex policy arguments, these buttons use simple peripheral cues like a candidate's name, a logo, and appealing colors to foster positive associations and signal group affiliation, thereby influencing attitudes with minimal cognitive effort from the viewer.

Example of Peripheral Route Persuasion: Political Campaign Buttons

A car advertisement features a famous, well-respected actor driving a new luxury vehicle through scenic mountain roads. The ad is filled with beautiful imagery and inspiring music, but provides no information about the car's fuel efficiency, safety ratings, or engine specifications. Which of the following best explains why this persuasive approach is effective?

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