Persuasion is a topic in social psychology. People may be persuaded in different ways. In this article, I provide information about two different ways of being persuaded. Before providing information on these ways of being persuaded, I will define persuasion.

What is Persuasion?

There may be a number of possible definitions of persuasion. Below is one persuasion definition:

Persuasion occurs when one's attitudes, beliefs, or decisions are influenced in manner consistent with a message.

The Central Route and Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Petty and Cacioppo (1981) suggested that there are two different ways or routes to persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route.

The Central Route to Persuasion. The central route to persuasion involves being persuaded by the arguments or the content of the message. For example, after hearing a political debate you may decide to vote for a candidate because you found the candidates views and arguments very convincing.

The Peripheral Route to Persuasion. The peripheral route to persuasion involves being persuaded in a manner that is not based on the arguments or the message content. For example, after reading a political debate you may decide to vote for a candidate because you like the sound of the person's voice, or the person went to the same university as you did. The peripheral route can involve using superficial cues such as the attractiveness of the speaker.