By Amanda Jones

 

Attitudes, beliefs and actions are easily persuaded by modern day propaganda. Jowett and O’Donnell define propaganda as the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. To fully understand propaganda you must understand the way attitudes, beliefs and actions play a part in the persuasion technique.

 

We all have existing attitudes and beliefs with each influencing our actions. Our attitudes, beliefs and actions affect the way we perceive new information such as propaganda. In order for one to persuade another, the persuader must have knowledge of existing attitudes and beliefs to use as an anchor in persuasion.

  

Attitudes are formed by certain beliefs about a person, idea, or object. People have countless attitudes, many of which can be used as an appeal to promote the change wanted by the propagandist.  Beliefs are simply someone’s opinion about someone or something. Like attitudes, beliefs are used as an anchor to promote change. The stronger beliefs of the receiver the more likely it is to influence the formation of a new belief. (Jowett/O’Donnell p. 31) Actions or behaviors can also be used as an anchor to affect already existing beliefs or attitudes of the target audience

 

The mass media is a perfect form of propaganda that changes many people’s attitudes, beliefs and actions every day. Advertising can be seen a form if propaganda. It persuades people to feel or act a certain way about a commercial product, organization, person or brand. Advertising is everywhere. You can see it on TV in your living room, billboards all around town, and even hear it on the radio while driving in your car. Attitudes, beliefs and actions can be easily persuaded by placing emotion into an advertisement. Emotional appeals are used often to connect people to the band or product which without doubt help in the persuasion process. If someone connects to the ad on an emotional level then the advertisement has done its job on persuading the consumer to buy or become a fan of the product. 

 

 

Politics can also be seen as a form of propaganda. Think back to the Obama/McCain election, how many campaign ads did you see? Campaign ads along with campaign posters, books, movies and radio are tools uses to win over the peoples vote. Politics are flooded with propaganda to change people’s attitudes toward a certain politician. Political experts discuss how candidates sincerely reach out to voters, how a cold, detached persona alienates key demographics, and how campaign advertisements arouse passions-- ranging from hope and enthusiasm to anger and discontent. (Weber, 2007) Emotional appeals are also common in political campaigning.

 

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, propaganda is the more or less systematic effort to manipulate other people’s beliefs, attitudes, or actions by means of symbols (words, gestures, banners, monuments, music, clothing, insignia, hairstyles, designs on coins and postage stamps, and so forth). Propaganda must focus in already existing attitudes and beliefs to trigger a change in the audience. If one can relate to the audience then one is more like to persuade the viewer to make the change wanted by the propagandist. Next time when you try to persuade a group of people, do your homework. Know what will cause the audience to change their beliefs or attitudes about a certain subject.

 

 

Work cited:

 

Jowett, G.S. & V. O’Donnell. (2006). Chapter 1. What is propaganda and how does it differ from persuasion? In Propaganda and Persuasion, 4^th edition (pp. 1-48). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 

 

propaganda. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 21, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/478875/propaganda

 

Weber, C. , 2007-08-30 "Emotional Campaigns: The Role of Discrete Emotions in Political Advertising" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Hyatt Regency Chicago and the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Chicago, IL Online <APPLICATION/PDF>. 2009-05-27 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p208851_index.html

 

 

The Sleeper Effect

by Monica Peterson

            "A friend of a friend told me" is a common expression that many people use when telling a story that they have recently heard. However, as time passes, the source is forgotten, or dissociated from the message, yielding an increase in effect from the message content itself. Simply put, while we may discount something initially because of who said it, or where we encountered it, over time we will forget the source, or dissociate it from the message, but remember the message.

The sleeper effect theory is when people receive a communication associated with a discounting cue, such as a non-credible source, they are less persuaded immediately after exposure than they are later in time. (?). There are many people that rely on additional information to determine what they will eventually believe or not believe. Overtime there are many messages that we receive that are used to persuade us to change our opinion on the initial subject.

The sleeper effect relies solely on persuasion. If the intended audience is not consistently hearing differing information associated with a certain topic, they are more than likely to believe the majority opinion. Although the sleeper effect has caused many arguments on its credibility, it is hard to overlook some of the actualities that it implies.

In politics, for example, candidates running for an office heavily rely on the sleeper effect. The sleeper effect phenomenon is examined to explain how the impact of negative political advertising persists--and even increases--over time. The prevalence and increasing legitimacy of negative attack ads raises the question of how to respond to and discount the influence of an attack particularly among candidates who will almost inevitably be attacked (Weaver Lariscy, Ruth Ann, and Spencer F. Tinkham).

Negative news may not only have short term behavioral effects, but also effects on underlying attitudes such as trust in politicians, which may produce their sleeper effect on political behavior only in the long run (website). These attacks are primarily used during the election season between opposing candidates. These ads are used to persuade us to either investigate further on the targeted issue or change our perception on the intentions of the other candidate. These messages are extremely biased so they are not believed immediately. During debates we often do not initially believe what the candidates are arguing because they are mainly just attacking each other; this is when the sleeper effect comes into play.

Television news stations, such as CNN and the Fox News Channel, use the sleeper effect to its full potential. The information that they discuss about the candidates gives us more information on what the candidates are really advocating. Using this method it strongly determines how we will base our opinions on the candidates and ultimately vote in the election.

The art of persuading others to change their opinions and mindsets takes time and patience which is why the sleeper effect has been closely studied throughout the years. This theory is still being studied on its credibility and whether or not it truly does have an influence on the way we come to our final conclusions.

References

Weaver Lariscy, Ruth Ann, and Spencer F. Tinkham. "The Sleeper Effect and Negative Political Advertising." Journal of Advertising 28.4 (Winter 1999): 13. Academic OneFile. Gale. Northwest Missouri State - Owens Lib. 22 Sept. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=AONE>.

Kumkale, G. Tarcan, and Dolores Albarracin. "The sleeper effect in persuasion: a meta-analytic review." Psychological Bulletin 130.1 (Jan 2004): 143(30). Academic OneFile. Gale. Northwest Missouri State - Owens Lib. 22 Sept. 2009 
<http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=AONE>.

Kleinnijenhuis, J. , van Hoof, A. M. and Oegema, D. , 2006-06-16 "Negative News and the Sleeper Effect of Distrust" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Dresden International Congress Centre, Dresden, Germany Online <PDF>. 2009-05-25 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p87070_index.html

Enhancing One's Credibility

By Sammy Jo Flinn

While researching the topic of credibility, I stumbled across various articles that questioned whether or not they were giving accurate information or feeding me lies of what the writer simply believed.  There are also numerous leaders in the United States that give information but how do you know if they are creditable?  There are many ways that you can enhance your credibility and it is pretty easy to do so. Whether you give excellent sources by using proper citation techniques or have your information in an orderly manner that it is easy to read and find what the reader or listener is looking for. In this blog I have included some strategies that anyone can use to enhance their credibility with some persuasion.

Dr. Nancy Snow said that "Persuasion is an essential, indispensable feature of human interaction," and to enhance your credibility with persuasion there must be some facts or evidence to back your statement. There are many ways to do this by explaining your background and qualifications to your reader as well as being well-prepared and organized. Now think of one name of someone that you respect, look up to and would follow. Let's take The President of the United States, Obama. What makes people look up him, follow him and trust him with the power of this country? He has to have some sort of credibility. Some ways that President Obama does this is first by adopting a language style that is suitable to his audience and the occasion. For the recent election, his campaign slogan was "Yes we can." This use of persuasion earned Obama millions of followers. In his speech the night of the primary in New Hampshire, Obama uses the phrases "you came out tonight" or "with your voices, you made it possible" and "we are ready" to show the listeners and followers that this campaign wasn't just about him being the President of the United States, it was about you, me and us as a people coming together. This form of persuasion is a great way to get followers and enhance your credibility.

Another easy way that you may enhance your credibility is being well prepared and organized. This is a way that a website with information on it can gain credibility. One website that is extremely organized and well prepared is www.cnn.com. At the top of the page you can search for any article that you need. If you typed in "health care," you get about nine articles that are related to this topic. The one relating titled "Can I get too much anti-oxidant?" first puts the reader in the title and gets their attention. The article itself there is information about the author, not only just her name but her title, "Dr. Melina Jampolis, Diet and Fitness Expert." Right there you know that they have credibility because they are stating their title right in the beginning of the article. In the article, however it relates to the reader, using the personable approach. Talking straight to the reader makes them feel like you care, and gives them a sense that what you are saying is true. This feeling may also lead the reader to recommend your website/ article to someone else and then you have the chain reaction occur.

Finally the last way you can enhance your credibility is establishing trustworthiness by demonstrating that you have your listener's interest at heart. In an article from cnn.com titled "How to avoid gaining the Freshmen 15," the title in itself is targeted toward the reader, especially freshmen in college. Within the article it gives you various tips about how to avoid this plague including a standard diet plan that could work for you even if you live on campus and have to eat from the local cafeteria. This gives the article credibility because they are in the readers shoes and they are relating to them.

            These three ways can definitely persuade your readers to think that you are creditable. Whether it's being organized and easy to read or just by relating to the reader and being in their shoes. Readers really listen to what the writer says and if you are a good persuader, than you will be able to gain some decent credibility.

Citations/ Websites Used:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe751kMBwms

Video about Barack Obama and his speech including quotes from reading.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/26/freshman.15.weight/index.html

Article about “How to avoid Freshmen 15” / how the writer gets credibility from relating

Miller,B (2009). How to avoid the Freshmen 15. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/26/freshman.15.weight/index.html

http://www.nancysnow.com/prop_news_persuasion.htm

“How to become a persuasive person” Also includes 10 guidelines to enhance one’s credibility

Snow, N (2003). How to become a persuasive person. Retrieved from http://www.nancysnow.com/prop_news_persuasion.htm

The Power of Labeling

By Chris Parsons

The power of labeling a person, place or thing is a something that can never be taken lightly. Does it really matter, if say, a boy or girl is label as a jock or a nerd, prep or a goth? What does it mean to be called an overachiever or a chronic-slacker? Does a label or title really precede a person if it is spread enough? Do people create a label for themselves or does the label create them?

What is a label? Webster’s Dictionary defines a label as a card, etc, marked and attached to an object to show its contents, (1. Attach a label to. 2. Classify as.) So when we as people label one another we are classifying each other. What is this based on? Is it our actions, words, ethics, work habits or our hobbies? This article will try to look into the power of labeling and how it might be used to persuade us and as forms of propaganda.

Some labels are extremely powerful. You think of a jock and you think of the best looking athlete scoring the game winning touchdown or hitting the home runs. On the opposite side of that a person who is labeled as a geek instantly brings images of suspenders, white button up shirts with pocket protectors and big thick glasses.

However a label is not always a negative thing. To be labeled as a husband, a mother, a teacher, a mentor. All of these are honors and labels are things that people strive to earn and be known as. Positive labeling has proven and long lasting effects just as negative has its. Labeling a child as a prodigy or as a child genius and telling the child this has the effect of them developing into that kind of person even if it wasn’t inherently true to begin with.

As mention earlier even our food choices are steered to a certain outlook because of labeling. A healthy individual who cares about what they eat will stay far away from a food labeled as being high in fat. One week a certain type of food is good for us then the next it is bad and the populace follows those labels like sheep follow one another in the flock.

When a person is labeled, positively or negatively, deservingly or spitefully, the question of whether or not a person can overcome a label that has been given to them. Can a person who is labeled as a slacker become a person who gets their work done in a timely manner? The answer is yes so one of the questions posted at the beginning can be answered. A person does not become their label. A person can overcome and move beyond a label. Whether or not they simply move away from the origin of their label to a place that they are not known or through work and a dedication to remove them from that title they finally overcome it.

By that same notion however it can be said that a person does not create his or her own label. A student who works hard and volunteers to help the teacher can sometimes be labeled a teachers pet and by that standard they are never seen to get in trouble or a bad grade because of that connection, not the work and effort they put into class.

This relates to propaganda and persuasion in a few ways. One such way is Looking at it from another stand point when you go to the supermarket and decide to pick up a piece of steak do you look at the B grade cuts or is it the grade A prime choice cut that has your attention. This is how labeling persuades us in our choices. While most of the time the label is there for your healthy, great tasting needs sometimes the label is there for a purely cosmetic or advertising situations.
A box of cereal label as good for you will sell fairly well. Add to the label of that cereal that it is great tasting and good for you and people will most likely choose the one that is great tasting because the label of the cereal declares it to be so.

The label of something has a profound impact on most decisions or assumptions that a person makes. A manager at a supermarket has two applicants for a job, both of equal skill and all applicable areas. One however is an ex-con who has just been released. Because he is required to make that information known on his application, because it is the label he and society have put on himself he may very well not get the job because of that. That is the power of labeling.

Proof of the above mentioned scenario could be found within the definition of Labeling Theory. Encyclopedia Britannica has the definition as a product of society’s reaction to the individual (Labeling 2009). Which means that the individual, once convicted of a crime, is labeled a criminal and thereby acquires a criminal identity. Once returned to society, he continues to be regarded as a criminal and is consequently rejected by law-abiding persons and accepted by other delinquents. This has been found to be true. Most ex-cons on attempts to start their life anew as a law-abiding citizen are usually shot down because of their label. Which in turn makes them return to the criminal lifestyle and the cycle continues.

The Journal of Food Products Marketing conducted a study. A summary of the study is as follows. “The aim of this study is to identify motives and barriers for the consumption of fresh tropical fruits and their juices. Also the potential role of labeling information, more specifically process-related quality labeling for fresh tropical fruits, and on-label nutrition and health claims for tropical fruit juices, are investigated. This study indicates that pleasure-seeking and hedonism motives are major drivers, whereas high perceived price and unfamiliarity form the most prominent barriers for consuming tropical fruit and tropical fruit juices. Process-related quality labels are considered credible and persuasive, but the expected price premium hampers the purchase of process-certified tropical fruit products. Health and nutrition claims on tropical fruit juices are not believed to be persuasive unless they match well with the perceived naturalness of the juices” (Sabbe, Verbeke, Van Damme, 2009).

In the end the power of labeling seems to be prevalent and will continue its hold over those who are labeled through others or their own deeds. That is why we as a collective should never judge a book by its cover and delve to find those true natures and facts beneath the label.

Sources:

Labeling theory. (2009). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 21, 2009, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/326674/labeling-theory

Goldman, Jonathan L. (2000). Webster’s New Pocket Dictionary. Cleveland, Ohio: Wiley Publishing Inc.

Sabbe, Sara, Verbeke Wim, Van Damme Patrick (2009). Perceived Motives, Barriers and Role of Labeling Information on Tropical Fruit Consumption: Exploratory Findings.
Journal of Food Products Marketing; 2009, Vol. 15 Issue 2, p119-138, 20p, 3 charts.
doi: [10.1080/10454440802316750].

NBC's "Great Experiment" -- Leno's Prime-Time Talk Show -- Launches Loud but Fades Fast: But Leno's "Brand" is Adaptable

by Brooke Shanholtz

NBC recently shifted Jay Leno's Prime Time Talk Show to an earlier
time. His Talk show now airs at 10/9 central which used to be filled
with drama. This was a huge risk by NBC but not necessarily a bad one.

On the premiere of Jay Leno's new time slot 18.4 million viewers tuned
in. A week later that number has dropped to a third of that amount. I
am not surprised at all with these statistics. I personally have never
consistently watched the Jay Leno talk show, but I even tuned in the
first night; and not because of the appearance of artist Kanye West. I
tuned in because of the consistent marketing tactics prior to the
shows premiere.

The advertisement for Jay Leno's new time spot was remarkable. It
grabbed the attention of viewers and caused much anticipation. The
commercial advertisement was played consistently a couple weeks prior
to the changing of the time slot. The TV spot grabbed my attention, as
well as the rest of the countries, and I was sure to tune in on the
first night of the new time slot. But I do have to admit, like
millions of others, I have not tuned in for the talk show since. It's
not that I did not like it; there are just other programs I would
prefer to watch during that time.

Even with the dramatic decrease in the number of viewers critics still
say not to count Leno out yet. "His is a strong and powerful American
brand, and NBC made a smart marketing move to shift him to an earlier
time slot, Forbes reports. His average viewer is much happy to be able
to tune in earlier in the evening and still get up with the birds."
Forbes also points out that it was a good lesson in brand management
showing that brands respond to shifts in consumer attitudes.

(2009, September 24). BULLDOG REPORTER'S DAILY DOG. Retrieved from
http://www.bulldogreporter.com

Conformity and Persuasion

By Bryce Davis

Have you ever felt out of place in a group of friends? Their clothes look different than yours, and you listen to a complete different genre of music. All you want to do is fit in with your "new friends" so you decide to tweak your style a bit to look like them, and maybe even start listing to music other than what you are used to. If anything in your life sounds similar to this, you are simply bringing out your need to conform. Conformity is almost like a disease that affects anyone and everyone whether we like it or not. There can be nothing wrong with conformity; it's just simply a matter of an individual wanting to belong. After all, the one thing all human beings have in common is the need to fit in somewhere in life.

Conformity is the desire to go along with the norms of people in a certain group so you feel accepted as part of that group. In life it is always nice to have someone to relate to. Conforming isn't always a bad thing; it's sort of a way we find our true selves.

Sometimes conformity can happen without people even realizing it is happening. Take the popular teen movie "Mean Girls" into perspective. The main character of the film, Cadi has just moved to the United States from a completely different culture in Africa. She stumbles upon many different cliques in her new high school including band geeks, jocks, Asians, and the most popular group known as the plastics. The Plastics represent what everyone wants to be; popular, rich, and pretty. Unfortunately, the plastics are also the meanest clique in school. The movies heroin Cadi slowly and unknowingly falls into their clique and become known as the meanest girl in school without her even realizing until the conclusion of the movie. This movie gives a good example of how can also be not such a good thing when peer pressure gets thrown into the mix.

When conforming to a group, you must follow the rules of the group. Rules aren't necessarily something like you would have to follow in a classroom. It can deal with language, attitude, clothing styles, and even music. Relating to the film Mean Girls again, The Plastics had their own set of rules that they all had to follow including certain days designated to the color pink or even how they are supposed to wear their hair. There can be two different types of people in a group when it comes to rules. One would be the in-group members who "follow" the rules by keeping to the identity of the group. The other type would be what is known as the peripheral members who try to impress the in-group members.

There are three different types of conformity that have been revealed by a Harvard psychologist by the name of Herbert Kelman. The first is known as compliance which deals with an individual conforms to the public and still sticks to his or her own beliefs. The second type is known as identification. This type states that an individual conforms to someone who is well liked. The third type is known as internalization which specifies how someone would conform personally and publicly.

Now, you may be wondering how all of this relates to propaganda and persuasion. One key word that rings in my mind is Influence. Influence is what persuasion is all about. If you want to gain trust from someone in a group you have to influence them to do so. In our everyday lives we are being influenced whether it deals with the high school cliques we have lived through similar to those in Mean Girls or even in the job market with different employees and co-workers. Conformity can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing, but one thing is for sure that we will continue to live our daily lives conforming to find out where exactly fit in.

References

The Need for Conformity. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://changingminds.org/

explanations/needs/conformity.htm

Michaels, L. (Producer), & Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

Conformity Psychology . (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Conformity_psychology/id/2004578 ple in point.

Pity and Guilt

by Justin Yates

As some of the clips shown in class will tell you (e.g. the Al Gore Global Warming clip), there are few things that are more depressing and pathetic than helplessness. Young animals appear to be helpless and tortured. A seal pup barking for its mother or a penguin looking for food on the shore have the tendency to cause us to revert back to our emotions, typically pity or sadness. Obviously we all have different levels of pity, but it’s very common for us all to feel helpless, maybe even guilty for these animal’s problems. For a brief moment, we forget about our own problems and feel it necessary to bring it upon ourselves to help these animals.

These videos are a prime example of propaganda being used in a positive manner. Rather than causing significant controversy, animal cruelty activists are generally working for the greater good. By using images, songs, and other means of persuasion, they can get their point across on a highly emotional level that typically does not leave them subject to ridicule or criticism.

The organizations themselves are not alone in their efforts. Celebrities have taken it upon themselves to help such causes. In Sarah McLachlan’s latest humanitarian mission, over $30 million has been raised for the ASPCA since the broadcast of her animal cruelty commercials since 2006. By depicting sad and sometimes graphic images of abused, malnourished animals, the ASPCA asks for financial assistance from its audience. These powerful images are the reason McLachlan’s commercial has been so effective. (Strom, 2008)

While animal cruelty is not considered a major problem in today’s America due to health care reform, H1N1, and economic recession, I still believe it is not an issue to be ignored.

This is only a small part of propaganda directed towards pity and guilt. A more controversial topic is that of abortion. This is a touchy subject, to say the least. Unlike animal cruelty, there are definitely those who feel very strongly on both sides of the issue.

For those who are pro-life, propaganda can be an extraordinary political weapon. By showing sad, sickening, or emotional pictures depicting abortion as a godless, cruel act they can drive their opinions home by affecting the moral and emotional psychology of their target audience. If there is one thing that’s more emotionally pulling than helpless animals, its young children being depicted as murder victims.

These methods are highly controversial, much as the topic of abortion itself. However, the attempted persuasion of lawmakers and other government officials is often not achieved through propaganda. (Chung, 2003) But the messages these sorts of ads convey are very powerful to the general population.

Now I am not going to state my opinion on either of these matters, due to the sensitivity of both. But animal abuse and abortion are two major areas that sometimes use propaganda. Our emotions are sometimes difficult to classify, and they have the tendency to overtake our thinking on occasion. Due to our complex psychologies, emotions have the ability to change our minds on a variety of topics. And some corporations can sometimes persuade others to think how they want them to think, act how they want them to act, or even encourage or persuade others to do the same.

Sometimes these strategies are very intrusive. With regard to abortion and emotions associated with it, some women may feel like ruthless murderers who are the scorn of the rest of society. And the constant debate between both sides of the issue just adds fuel to the fire. Sometimes the best policy for persuasion is to borderline insult the audience, like in the case of abortion. Guilt can be a powerful emotion, and it’s sometimes very effective in persuading and influencing the thoughts and feelings of others. (Carpentier, 2009)

In conclusion, propaganda that appeals to pity and guilt is a very broad area of persuasion. We’ve all been subjected to it, and most of us have probably been influenced by it. And growing up in a world so uncertain and controversial, I can only imagine that the amount of propaganda regarding such topics will only grow and become more blatant and forward.

Sources:

Carpentier, Megan. (2009, Aug. 21). Federal judge upholds south dakota anti-abortion propaganda law. Retrieved from: http://airamerica.com/blog/2009/aug/21/federal-judge-upholds-south-dakota-anti-abortion-propaganda-law

Chung, Sandra M. (2003, Nov. 7). Sifting through anti-abortion propaganda. Retrieved from: http://tech.mit.edu/V123/N55/smc55.55c.html

Strom, Stephanie. (2008, Dec. 25). Ad featuring singer proves bonanza for the a.s.p.c.a. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/us/26charity.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=ASPCA&st=cse

Do You Experience Decision Anxiety?

 

By Melissa Grovijohn

Do you ever find anxiety to be affecting your decisions? Anxiety can cause a person to do things that he/she normally wouldn't.  Or at least put pressure on you to give in to what is bothering you. While few people enjoy being anxious, most have experienced at some point, and anxiety can be a very persuasive influence on our decision making.

So what is anxiety exactly? The article "Anxiety and Social Explanation: Some Anxiety about Anxiety" says that "anxiety is a psychic condition of heightened sensitivity to some perceived threat, risk, peril or danger" (Hunt, 1999). Anxiety causes people to be afraid of things that are unknown. Anxiety can easily occur before a first test in a class because it is hard to know how hard a teacher's tests are before you take the first one.

Anxiety can cause you to look outside of yourself for the answers of how you can solve a problem. When people do not experience much anxiety, they often rely on their own previous notions because they feel comfortable with the situation. However, if a person comes across a foreign situation that causes anxiety it would benefit them to look to external sources so that they can consider all the information available to them (Smith and Richards, 1967). For example, if a person has dealt with the loss grandparents but then has a friend die, the loss of a friend is different and so she might have to get extra help dealing with this new type of loss.

Anxiety relates to persuasion in terms of decision making. Emotional priming and framing can influence a person to either be swayed or not be swayed by anxiety. Emotional priming leads people to keep what they have known when anxiety comes. However, when they don't have an opinion they can be swayed one way or another. Framing is the opposite, as anxiety will lessen the firm grip on what people already think is true while if they did not know anything they will follow what they have in the past (Smith and Richards, 1967).

The level of anxiety can influence how persuasion affects a person. Studies show that people with low-self esteem are particularly susceptible to persuasion. These people are called "socially anxious" and are generally very concerned about receiving approval from others. People who are highly anxious are likely to express moderate opinions in order to avoid conflict. Moderately anxious individuals are not as concerned about the possibility of conflict and stay with what they believe. People with low anxiety may be fine with conflict and will stay true to themselves (Sears, 1967).

So hopefully now you have a greater understanding of what anxiety is and how it can influence decision making. If you do not want anxiety to affect your decisions, try to relax and pray that God would help you make the decision that is right for you.

Sources:

Hunt, A. (1999, Spring99). Anxiety and Social Explanation: Some Anxieties about Anxiety, Journal of Social History, 32(3), 509.

Sears, D. (1967, October). Social anxiety, opinion structure, and opinion change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 7(21), 142-151. Doi:10.1037/h0021229

Smith, K& Richards, B. (1967, January), Effects of a Rational Appeal and of Anxiety on Conformity Behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5(1), 122-126.

Familiar Phrases and Persuasion

By Suzanne Hedberg

 

Familiar Phrases and Persuasion

 

                When talking about current familiar phrases, it is impossible to do so without also talking about how advertisements have an effect on our speech.  In today’s society, people are exposed to many common phrases through the internet, television, radio, newspapers, and magazines.  Nearly every major company has adopted a phrase, theme, or jingle.  Many people would be able to recognize Obama’s “hope and change” theme in the 2008 presidential election, sing the jingle to FreeCreditReport.com, or identify State Farm Insurance Company’s phrase, “Like a good neighbor…”  These phrases are meant to persuade the audience to utilize the company, or, in Obama’s case, vote for the candidate.  Everyday phrases such as these are examples of how the elaboration likelihood model works in our everyday lives.

                The elaboration likelihood model holds that there are two “routes” to persuasion – the central route and the peripheral route.  Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O’Donnell maintain that “motivation to engage in persuasive transactions is related to attentional factors, message quality, a person’s involvement in the issue, and a person’s ability to process persuasive argument” (Jowett and O’Donnell, 2006).  Attitude change that stems from purposeful evaluation, logic, or elaboration is the central route to persuasion.  It creates an enduring attitude related to behavioral intention.  Generally phrases that are easily picked up on are due to peripheral cues which are driven by the attractiveness of the argument.  The attractiveness of the slogan or phrase makes it easily picked up and remembered.  It does not require the audience to weigh the pros and cons and evaluate the product.   The peripheral route of persuasion is most often used in advertisement.  Most ads are short (one minute or less) and are run multiple times in order to get the phrase across to the audience.

                Repetition is a common tactic in all persuasion and would not be effective otherwise.  If, for example, FreeCreditReport.com’s commercial ran once on television and never aired again, this would be ineffective.  The goal of any company is to have name recognition so the company can make itself known and remembered (Rank, 2008).  Our everyday lives are flooded with repeated commercials and ads that flash their phrase in hopes it will by catchy to their audience, be remembered, and therefore be persuasive. 

                In our notes, Erwin P. Bettinghaus and Michael J. Cody say, “persuasion involves [a] conscious effort to influence” (J. Fisher, personal communication, September 18, 2009).  When discussing persuasion as a conscious effort in regards to phrases shared within a group, I must disagree with Bettinghaus and Cody.  Our everyday actions and phrases often have an effect on others, whether it is intended or unintended.  Take for instance a phrase that one friend often says to another.  More than likely, if the two spend enough time together the second person will pick it up.  This is not because the first was persuading her to do so, but because groups often share similar values and similar senses of humor.  Additionally, the unintended receiver effect does not follow what Bettinghaus and Cody claim about persuasion either.  Merely talking about a product to a group of friends and someone overhearing and going out and buying the product does not constitute as a conscious effort to influence others. 

                The internet, television, radio, newspapers and magazines all offer phrases which are either remembered and repeated by the public – offering an example of effective persuasion – or forgotten by the public – offering an example of ineffective persuasion.  The elaboration likelihood model shows us how we are persuaded by advertising or campaigning.  Persuasion does not only occur in advertisements presented daily in media outlets, but also in circles of friends who merely share common phrases with each other.  Maybe next time a phrase comes along you won’t be so easily persuaded.  Or, maybe the FreeCreditReport.com’s jingle will just get stuck in your head.

 

Sources:

 

Fisher, J. (2009, September). Intentionality and persuasion. Maryville, Missouri.

 

Jowett, G.S. & V. O’Donnell. (2006). Chapter 4. Propaganda and Persuasion Examined.  In Propaganda and Persuasion, 4^th edition (pp. 161-202). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Rank, H. (2008). The abcs of tv ads. Retrieved from http://webserve.govst.edu/pa/Advertising/ABCs/abc_list.htm. 

 

 

 

Subliminal Persuasion

By Keri Stoner

"Subliminal persuasion is a signal or message embedded in another medium, designed to pass below the normal limits of the human mind's perception. These messages are unrecognizable by the conscious mind, but in certain situations can affect the subconscious mind and can negatively or positively influence subsequent later thoughts, behaviors, actions, attitudes, belief systems and value systems" (Wikipedia). Subliminal persuasion or messages are used to make us want something without our realization. They are ads in the ads that we do not see right off or maybe even at all. These ads make us think we need it all, they manipulate our minds and make us think our lives are not as good as they could be and therefore cause us to purchase things that will make our lives "better."

Subliminal persuasion has been around and used since as early as the 1950's when Vance Packard’s book was published in 1957 called The Hidden Persuader. Although his book was about subliminal messages, he never used the word subliminal in his book. This book did not make Packard a very well respected man but it did sell a lot of copies. Although, "Packard had gotten some more respectful treatment in the last years of his life. He was the subject of a serious 1994 biography by Daniel Horowitz. And in his New Republic review of Horowitz's book, historian Jackson Lears argued that Packard 'deserves a place alongside more formidably intellectual figures in any history of twentieth-century social thought'" (Futrelle ). His book was about subliminal messaging and how they worked, although at that time most people did not understand subliminal messages were. The book put a bad taste in the majority's mouths, but people still read it. Even after his death the obituaries sounded a bit bitter when mentioning his life accomplishments.

"The American individual is subject to an average of 1500 advertisements per day, which appeal to us on an unconscious level, encouraging dissatisfaction with ourselves, and creating discontent which demands appeasement through material acquisition" (Butler, 2001). Why would anyone want to create dissatisfaction within ourselves? Well, maybe someone would want to create dissatisfaction within our minds in order to create unnecessary self esteem issues that make us think we have to have that shirt or those shoes or even that particular stomach in order to feel any self worth. It is a pretty rough world when advertisements are telling us we're not good enough.

Subliminal persuasion usually uses sexual images that the consumer does not readily realize are there. This is the advertiser's way to lure the consumer into purchasing their product. There is some belief that there are sexual subliminal images in cartoon Disney movies. What kind of society puts sexual images in children's movies? Of course there has always been the "sex sells" when it comes to beer ads but there are usually sexual subliminal images in these sexy ads. These images portray more than just a model in a swimsuit and they take some looking at to actually see. Sneaky images within ads are how they are subliminal; which means "under the threshold" (Wikipedia).

On a more positive note, subliminal persuasion can be used in a good way. Not all subliminal persuasion is used through imagery sometimes it is all about what we hear as well. Subliminal messages in audio programs are ads that have been proven very effective and are used by many psychologists to help people who want positive results. These positive subliminal messages are called "Subliminal Love Tapes." By listening to these tapes a person can learn to manage stress, relationships and even gain motivation to lose weight. "...audio programs with subliminal messages are designed to deliver positive affirmations directly to the subconscious — bypassing the conscious mind, which may reject these positive affirmations. This method is designed to allow the subconscious to more readily accept positive thoughts and images; replacing the negative thoughts and images we've held in our subconscious" (2006). This way it can block out negative thoughts that people have had possibly since their childhood and replace them with more positive thoughts.

At the beginning it was easy to see how negative subliminal persuasion can be, which it usually is. Even so, it was nice to find a way in which the persuasion was used for good as well. It is always encouraging to see something that is usually bad used for good. I liked that in searching for examples of subliminal persuasion I found an effective encouraging way that it is used to help people in their everyday lives. Although, in every advertisement it is a good idea to look beyond what is there and look for what your subconscious is picking up.


Reference:
Futrelle , D. Media Circus: The Hidden Persuader. Retrieved from http://www.salon.com/media/media961217.html
Butler, S. (2001, April 06). Subliminal advertising: return of the hidden persuaders. Retrieved from http://www.disinfo.com/archive/pages/dossier/id321/pg1/
(2006). Subliminal Messages in Audio Programs Experience the Benefits of Subliminal Love Tapes®. Retrieved from http://www.efflearn.com/subliminal.php

Triumph and Deceit

Triumph and Deceit:
Examining the effects of propaganda in respect to credibility and image management.


Throughout the ages of history, propaganda has played an important role, whether good or bad, in persuading a population to believe in a certain ideology to help further a particular agenda. When used properly, it can be very beneficial in bringing mass populations together in support of certain actions taken by an individual or group of individuals. One of the greatest purposes of propaganda is used by countries who try to increase their soft power, or image in the global community. Soft power is essential for many countries to be able to use diplomatic measures in the global community to solve issues between their country and others. Countries use propaganda efforts in order to maintain credibility and image between other countries, and to stay in good standing with their own people.

PROPAGANDA AND COUNTRY IMAGE:

        Leaders of countries use propaganda in order to maintain the support of their citizens, and also to gain support of other nations to help further their foreign policy agendas. Soft power is the ability to get what you want by attracting and persuading others to adopt your goals. It differs from hard power, the ability to use the carrots and sticks of economic and military might to make others follow your will. Both hard and soft powers are important in the war on terrorism, but attraction is much cheaper than coercion, and an asset that needs to be nourished (Nye, 2003). This is best exemplified in the Bush Administration’s propaganda used to gain support for the War on Terrorism. First, President Bush played on the hearts of the American people shortly after the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center rallying them together through their anger, rage, sorrow, and sadness to gain their support for the United States’ open-ended campaign against terrorism worldwide. Bush took the support from the American people and pushed his foreign political agenda to rid the world of terrorism, stopping at nothing to have this goal obtained.

        The second source of propaganda used by the Bush Administration was grey propaganda, saying whatever it needed to in order to get the support of ally nations to help the United States in their War on Terrorism efforts. Without other countries, the war efforts would have been halted by the backlash from different terrorist organizations, because the United States military is not large enough to combat the entire world’s terrorism alone. The Bush Administration put forth this image of the United States as a “nation dedicated to ridding the world of terrorism.” With this image in hand, and spread throughout the global community, the United States was able to pursue the terrorist threats as they appeared in an attempt to preempt any future attacks. Without the soft power and image created through the support of the American people, and the support of ally nations, the War on Terrorism would be ineffective and unwinnable.

PROPAGANDA AND COUNTRY CREDIBILITY:

        Leonard Doob states in his article, Goebbel’s Principles of Propaganda, “Credibility alone must determine whether propaganda output should be true or false.”  The credibility of the source is a major determinant of how people view the information presented, and if the credibility is low, the actuality of the information being persuasive is low as well. Referring back to the Bush Administration example, they used black propaganda to gain the support of both the American people and the global community when invading Iraq. They told us that Iraq was holding weapons of mass destruction, and an invasion was the only was to stop them from being used, when actually there were no weapons of mass destruction found in the area, and they in turn took the opportunity to seize control of the government and take over the country. This use of black propaganda led to the eventual decline in the credibility of the United States in the global community, and now all the multi-lateral efforts we were working towards have essentially turned into unilateral ones, because no country wanted to support our outlandish tactics and efforts. “Rising anti-Americanism around the world threatens to deprive the US of the soft or attractive power that it needs to succeed in the struggle against terrorism. As Iraq has shown, hard military power alone cannot provide a solution” (Nye, 2005). The United States needs to do something in order for it to be able to effectively continue its foreign policy agendas. We need to increase our credibility in the global community in order to gain support of other nations to help us with our campaigns, and hopefully help decrease terrorism throughout the world.

        Image and credibility is absolutely essential when it comes to the use of propaganda within a country. As seen in the previous examples, the wrong use of propaganda can easily hurt a country’s image and credibility to the point where the global community refuses to help them in certain campaigns. It is necessary to maintain a good image and high credibility to be able to gain support for certain diplomatic and military efforts, and to keep in good graces with the ally countries you would like support from in the future. So, when using propaganda, the best type would be to use white propaganda, and hope that the truth will allow you to gain the support necessary to further your agenda.     





References:
Joseph Nye. (2003, January 10). Propaganda Isn’t the Way: Soft Power. International Herald
        Tribune. Retrieved from http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/1240/
propaganda_isnt_the_way.html.


Joseph Nye. (2005, January 22). America’s Soft Power Suffering As It Loses the Propaganda War.
        Taipei Times. Retrieved from http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/vp01.cfm?outfit=pm
t&folder=2053&paper=2110.


Leonard W. Doob. Joesph Goebbel’s Principles of Propaganda. Public Opinion and Propaganda.
        Retrieved from http://www.psywarrior.com/Goebbels.html.

Laura Yeager: Concept Blog Brand Loyalty

Laura Yeager

Propaganda and Persuasion

September 21, 2009

 

A Fairy Tale Ending for Brand Loyalty

 

In an ideal world, every product would have a successful following and a strong amount of brand loyalty. However, in the world that we live in that just isn’t the case. Nancy Giddens, an extension marketing specialist defines brand loyalty as “a consumer’s preference to buy a particular brand in a product category”.

 Brand loyalty in the consumer market today is almost impossible.  Smith and Jones, an advertising agency that specializes in moving brands up market, produced an article called “Brand Loyalty: The Holy Grail”.  The article provides the statistic that the average American is introduced to more than 3,000 paid marketing campaigns every day, where as 90 percent of those messages is produced by a public relations professional. Although it is difficult to gain brand loyalty, a company who is successful in brand loyalty can see a significant increase in profit.  Smith and Jones’ article also stated that with just a 5 % increase in a products brand loyalty, the companies profit can increase up to 95 percent.

 

In order to understand brand loyalty, one should look at companies who are successful in the practice. The Walt Disney Company is one of the most successful companies when it comes to brand loyalty. Not only does the company know how to market and sell to a wide demographic, they know how to keep their customers after the fact. 

Princess Propaganda is a blog specifically about Disney and how its methods of propaganda and persuasion regarding Disney fairy tales can not only keep the interest of girl’s ages 2 through 8 but also keep that same demographic far into their adulthood.  “We’ve been blown away by how strong the demand is for princess thematic things in almost every stage of a woman’s life” says Andy Mooney, Chairman of Disney Consumer Products Worldwide. Because of this Disney has found a new way to play off of their brand loyalty. Disney has now introduced a Disney bridal collection specializing in fairy tale weddings. Disney’s Fairy Tale Wedding Collection allows brides to purchase wedding dresses specific to Disney princesses. This includes Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Jasmine, and even Giselle from the recently released Disney movie Enchanted. Disney has used their brand loyalty to improve on product sales and continue to increase consumer loyalty towards their company. If companies would emulate Disney’s methods of propaganda and persuasion and start reaching their demographics at a young age, every company might increase their chances of having a fairy tale ending when it comes to brand loyalty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Giddens, N (2002). Brand Loyalty. Ag Decision Maker, Retrieved from http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/pdf/c5-54.pdf

 

(2007, April 19). Princess Propaganda. Retrieved from http://princessculture.wordpress.com/2007/04/19/disneys-fairy-tale-wedding-collection/

 

Smith and Jones, (n.d.). Brand Loyalty: The Holy Grail. Up Market, Retrieved from http://www.smithandjones.com/content489

 

 

 

 

 

Laura Yeager

Alpha Sigma Alpha Secretary

Phi Phi Chapter

 

The Power of Visual Persuasion

By Abby Wilson

Ladies, isn't it funny how every time we see a commercial for "Herbal Essences" shampoo we immediately have this impulse to go to the nearest drugstore and buy that shampoo? Of course, why wouldn't we when the beautiful models in the commercial have gorgeous locks that only took four hours in hair and make-up to create? But we never think about the four hours in salon, we only make one connection in that 30 second spot: I want her hair! The image of the models beautiful hair connected with the image of the "Herbal Essences" shampoo bottle sends a message straight to our brain telling us we will look like her with that shampoo.

Images are usually the first element of advertising to engage us and the last element we remember (Visual Persuasion-Holy Cow Branding, 2009). The image is really the only thing that peaks our interest and makes us want to keep watching. Because images are so important when it comes to advertising, advertisers use something called image-oriented advertising. Image-oriented advertising is used to create a positive association between a product and idealized imagery or lifestyles (Visual Persuasion-Holy Cow Branding, 2009). The goal for the advertiser is to get the consumer to associate the brand with an ideal lifestyle. A certain shampoo linked with gorgeous hair makes us think we can have that too. A group of happy friends sitting around cold beers makes us think we can have times like that too. A celebrity endorsing a pair of overpriced jeans makes us think we can look good in those too. The power of visual persuasion is very strong and should never be overlooked.

Because of the implicit nature of visual argumentation and the relative lack of social accountability that images enjoy in comparison with words, pictures can be used to make advertising claims that would be unacceptable if they were spelled out verbally (Messaris). In short, pictures help you make assumptions that would never hold up if spoken directly from the advertiser.

Undoubtedly, there is cause for concern on how this image-oriented advertising is affecting U.S. consumers. The images the consumers see can be detrimental to not only their self esteem, but to their lives as well. Think about a young woman who sees a credit card commercial and how happy the spender looks in it. She thinks, "I deserve to be happy and to have nice things," so she gets a credit card. This commercial probably never showed her the ugly side of debt that can emerge from using the card. She only sees one thing: happiness. I highly doubt that the "drink responsibly" statement at the end of beer commercials is heard by many men around the world. They see two things: cold beer and a good time. And think about all those young adults who see beautiful people (men and women, alike) in the advertisements in magazine and on the television 24/7! What kind of messages are we sending them with this kind of advertising? There isn't a statement at the bottom of the screen or page saying, "Don't worry kids, it took a team of experts five hours in the lab to airbrush this photo." All they see is the image.

With that being said, I feel like I need to bring up an image-based advertising campaign that I believe is helping, not harming, our nation. Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" was launched in 2004 and was inspired by a global study that found that women around the world have come to believe that beauty if limited and unattainable (Campaign For Real Beauty Mission, 2008). Because of this, Dove started this advertising campaign using real women, not professional models, to put self-esteem back into the hearts and minds of women everywhere. With this campaign, they hope to reach 5 million young women by the end of 2010. Instead of sending unattainable and falsified messages, they are sending the message that happiness is within the person, not the product.

As far as image-oriented advertising is concerned, I believe the Dove adverting campaign is becoming a role model for how this sort of advertising should be used. It has set the standard for how we, as people, need to be viewing advertisements. We cannot rely on images and 20 second clips to give us our information; we must look past it to see what the message is really saying!

References

Messaris, Paul. (1996). Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Campaign For Real Beauty Mission. (2008, March 14). http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/

Visual Persuasion-Holy Cow Branding. (2009, January 27). http://holycowbranding.wordpress.com/category/advertising/

What can be done about systemic bias?

By John Fisher and Bayo Oludaja, Northwest Missouri State University*

Few studies exist and little has been written about systemic bias.
Yet, it is real and it can be harmful to its victims. One group that
suffers from systemic bias is American Indians, particularly in
education. Many American Natives can tell stories of racism and how
it has affected them. In fact much of the racism they identify may be
systemic bias.
One glossary describes systemic bias is "the inherent tendency of a
process to favor particular outcomes." It refers to human systems,
while systemic error refers to non-human systems (i.e. scientific
observations). Systemic bias may be the "result of underlying, often
invisible mechanisms or unconscious perceptions by individuals in the
system."
One way to look at systemic bias is to consider the practices or
policies of an organization. Inherent in these practices may be
biases that favor or discourage one group or another. They don't take
into account the differences among groups or individuals. Generally,
all people are treated the same. Attitudes and beliefs as well as
culture, both individual and organizational, may be factors that
create systemic bias. Often systemic bias is manifested in the failure
of some students to be able to meet the established standards while
the dominant group meets those standards.
From a consumerism viewpoint, systemic bias involves the shared
beliefs of those who participate. For instance, in a project run and
used mostly by Americans, there will be a systemic bias towards
American products. In a project run and used mostly by Internet users
there will be a systemic bias towards technological solutions as being
"good". This form of systemic bias arises from how people work
together rather than from who participates.
A side effect of systemic bias may be oppression, but it is not the
intended result. Racism, on the other hand, entails oppression which,
along with its opposite "privilege," affects a range of people
characterized by gender (sexism), sexuality (heterosexism), physical
and mental able-ness (ableism), age (ageism), class (classism),
nationality, body size/shape, criminality, religion, and
language/accent among others (Paradies, 2006). Racism can be expressed
through stereotypes, prejudice or discrimination.
Many supposedly impartial practices have a tremendously discriminatory
impact on racial and ethnic minorities, as well as women, girls and
other groups. They also can adversely affect dominant groups in a form
of reverse discrimination. Isabelle Katz Pinzler writing in the
Chicago Tribune (May 20, 2001) listed racial profiling by police,
placing potentially toxic plants or waste treatment facilities in
minority neighborhoods, height and weight requirements for employment
and other selection procedures as examples of systemic bias. Other
examples are career selection and choice of major in college, the wage
gender gap, dealing with the mentally ill in prison and court systems,
and English-only language requirements for immigrants. In the
education system, systemic bias exists in funding mechanisms, meeting
special needs, testing and delivery approaches. Systemic bias
permeates North American society in one form or another. For each of
these instances exists an example of racism, thus we see the inherent
danger of systemic bias.

System bias directed toward American Native peoples
Systemic bias affects the teaching and delivery of programs to Native
people. Poor performance and high dropout rates among indigenous
students may be a result of American education being so different from
and apart from the lives of Indian people. According to Deloria, "The
education that Indians receive today is the highly distilled product
of Christian/European scientific and political encounters with the
world …. [E]ducation has become something different and part from the
lives of [Indian] people, and is seen as a set of technical beliefs
that, upon mastering, admit the pupil to the social and economic
structures of larger society" (1999, p. 138).
Not only does it affect the teaching of Indians, but systemic bias
also occurs in the teaching (or lack) of Native history and culture to
non-Native populations. What is taught about Indian history and
culture distorts the facts. Starnes (2006) states: "It is not
surprising that most schools – even schools on reservations –
emphasize a history and culture that does not include American
Indians." However, he continues, "American Indian cultures are filled
with great thinkers and doers and with histories at least as complex
and exciting as those included in the largely Eurocentric body of
knowledge acquired by America's graduating seniors. And whether or
not we can name Indian contributions to our democracy and our daily
lives, they do exist."
Because of cultural stereotyping, often created in Hollywood, and
misinformation in schools, most people think that there is only one
Indian culture and one Indian language. In fact, more than 500 tribal
nations exist in the United States, each with its own unique history,
culture and language.
Often the poor educational outcomes among indigenous students are
blamed on Native peoples for not responding to opportunities or on
racist motives by government or educational authorities. However, De
Plevicz (2007) claims a partial explanation for poor performance is
the less obvious educational policies and practices of government
agencies. While these policies and practices may appear to be
race-neutral, they are "based on underlying assumptions that are not
in accordance with indigenous experience or culture, and … therefore
disadvantage the indigenous students who struggle to comply with
them."
As Deloria (1999, p. 137) points out, "European civilization has a
determined and continuing desire to spread its view of the world to
non-European countries." This includes indigenous peoples in North
America and elsewhere. Even though the policy of assimilation was
officially abandoned in the 1970s, according to De Plevicz (2007),
this is still the aim, although unconscious, of government. "While
they are apparently being offered the same educational opportunities
as other students, indigenous students may be experiencing the
unintentional consequences of historical policies or economic
practices." The most striking example of systemic bias is the
operation of the Eurocentric model of education which, by its nature,
fails to endorse indigenous core values and understandings. According
to De Plevicz (2007), "indigenous people who are successful in
mainstream terms have learned to live in two worlds." White people
don't have to live in two worlds. Yet it seems to be a primary goal
of education for indigenous students, writes De Plevicz.
According to Deloria (1999, pp. 138-139), education today trains
professionals; it doesn't produce people. The separation of learning
into professional expertise and personal growth is "an insurmountable
barrier for many Indian students and raises severe emotional problems
as they seek to sort out the proper principles from these two isolated
parts of human experience." In traditional Indian society there is no
separation. In fact, the goal in traditional societies is "to ensure
personal growth and then to develop professional expertise."
Professor Jim Bates, a Lakota/Nakota, has noted how he has had to
re-educate American-Indian graduates from accredited social work
programs to function competently in tribal social services. Professor
Bates noted that many tribes did not want to hire professional social
workers for tribal services as they were not viewed as effective with
Indian people, in that they were "just too complicated" for Indians to
trust. Bates speaks about the need for a "shadow curriculum" for
native indigenous students, a curriculum that would be grounded upon
core indigenous values and traditional philosophical assumptions; a
curriculum that would more appropriately prepare traditional Indians
for social work in their respective tribes within the framework of
their own traditional heritage (Voss, 2005).

Can anything be done about systemic bias?
While racism may exist in school systems toward Indian children,
systemic bias is also apparent. Much of what is called racism is in
fact systemic bias. Because it is possible that systemic bias supports
racist thinking and behaviors, reducing problems of systemic bias may
in fact lead to a reduction in racism. However, in addition, further
measures may need to be instituted to deal with the problems of
racism. Changing the system will not completely eradicate racism.
Re-education and changing attitudes will be needed to change racist
thinking and behaviors.
Systemic bias may be a major reason that so many Native students fail
to complete school. Recognizing systemic bias may be a first step in
eliminating the problem. A declaration of bias may help reduce
systemic bias by making it visible. Part of the declaration would
recognize that traditional education doesn't work well with Indian
children. We are trying to teach Native students using white cultural
standards and teaching methods. We can change this situation by
bringing native teachers into classrooms, by emphasizing affective
teaching methods over cognitive, and by developing a caring atmosphere
where the students learn by experience and are evaluated that way
instead of with standardized tests.
Montana has passed legislation, called Indian Education for All
(IEFA), which may do much to reduce systemic bias and lessen racism.
Under IEFA every child in the state will learn about Indian history
and culture. Instituting similar programs in the other states and
provinces of Canada might begin to deal with the problems of systemic
bias and racism in both countries. Teachers would learn about native
culture and how to present it. A program about Native history and
culture would signal the importance of Indian education and thus help
reduce systemic bias. It might help re-educate teachers and students
alike and assist in changing racist attitudes.
In the context of social work, Professor Bates spoke about the need
for a "shadow curriculum" for Native students, "a curriculum that
would be grounded upon core indigenous values and traditional
philosophical assumptions," that would "appropriately prepare
traditional Indians for … work in their respective tribes within the
framework of their own traditional heritage" (Voss, 2005).
However, "offering classes on indigenous culture is only a beginning,
not a solution. Underlying policies need to be tested to see whether
they are racially discriminatory," writes De Plevicz (2007). While
dealing with systemic bias may not solve the complex problems related
to Indian education, they may provide a place to begin.
The Montana Indian Education For All legislation suggests that if
anything is to be done about racism and individual prejudice we must
first attack systemic bias.

References:
Deloria, Vine, Barbara Deloria, Kristen Foehner, Samuel Scinta and
Wilma Pearl Mankiller. Spirit and Reason. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum
Publishing, 1999.
De Plevicz, Loretta. Systemic Racism: "The Hidden Barrier to
Educational Success for Indigenous School Students." Australian
Journal of Education, 51, (1), 2007, 54+.
Paradies, Yin. "Defining, conceptualizing and characterizing racism
in health research." Critical Public Health, 16, (2), 2006, 143-157.
Pinzler, Isabelle Katz. "Indirect bias, direct threat: Court ruling
may reverberate for women, girls" Chicago Tribune, May 30, 2001, 6.
Starnes, Bobby Ann. "Montana's Indian Education for all: Toward an
education worthy of American ideals." Phi Delta Kappan, 88, (3)
November, 2006, 184-189.
Voss, Richard W., Albert White Hat Sr., Jim Bates, Margery Richard
Lunderman, Alex Lunderman. "Social Work Education in the Homeland:
Wo'lakota Unglu'su'tapi." Journal of Social Work Education, 41, (2),
2005, 209+.
*This article summarizes an article by Fisher and Oludaja, entitled
"Native people and systemic bias in the public education system," that
appeared in the 2009 Business Research Yearbook.

FW: Download the Latest KC PR Podcast!

Download the Latest KC PR Channel Podcast If you're curious about the education of today's college student who is interested in joining the PR arena, then tune into June's KC PR Channel podcast. PRSA Fellow and Washburn University Professor Barb DeSanto speaks to host Lorell LaBoube about: The variety of PR programs available within universities versus the "traditional" journalism degree many current PR professionals earned. Content areas that partner well with today's environment in public relations, such as education.  What PR pros are looking for in today's graduate and how colleges are incorporating this into their teachings. The KC PR Channel is presented courtesy of Lorell LaBoube, director of communications at the Center for Practical Bioethics. Download the June Podcast: How Public Relations Practice & Education Can - and Should - Work Together Check out our past podcasts on our Web site   Barb DeSanto & Lorell LaBoube

FW: Listen to KC PR Channel Podcast: Peter Shankman Interview

Download the Latest KC PR Channel Podcast Peter Shankman, founder of Help a Reporter Out, banters with host Lorell LaBoube in the latest KC PR Channel podcast about selecting and using the right social media tools to your advantage as a PR professional.   Hear Shankman's thoughts on how to: Connect with audiences more effectively Keep up with the rapid pace of change in the social media landscape Engage your audience versus broadcast the message Feel free to forward this to colleagues and look for more upcoming KC PR Channel podcasts. The KC PR Channel is presented courtesy of Lorell LaBoube, director of communications at the Center for Practical Bioethics. Download the May Podcast: Interview with HARO Founder, Peter Shankman Check out our past podcasts on our Web site   Peter Shankman & Lorell LaBoube