Semester Research Paper: Texting While Driving PSA
Semester Research Paper: Texting While Driving PSA
Persuasion holds place in almost every niche in our societies. Whether in politics, marketing, or public awareness and education programs, the elements of persuasion will always be indirectly or directly present in any society. Persuasion works because it appeals to different emotions and beliefs that are common among the targeted audiences (Walton 54). It hit right where it should and therefore gets results. When the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq, they used one of the most successful tactics in persuasion; fear. They made the public believe that they are under threat and that Saddam Hussein will use weapons of mass destruction against the American people. The result was a wide approval by the congress and most of the public to invade Iraq. …show more content…
Statements such as: “If you cross your eyes, they will stay that way.” “Don’t run with scissors, you will poke your eye out,” and “never talk to strangers. You might be abducted,” (Gass & Seiter 272) are all part of fear tactics that parents use on their children to protect them and make them aware of the danger they might be facing. Nonetheless, scare tactics does not only work on children, it also work on adults. The authors of our text mention that some commentators believe that the “American culture has become a culture based on fear” (Gass & Seiter 272). Fear from catching a deadly disease, an attack by a foreign nation, and many other social issues that might jeopardize our safety. Though it is easy to see the effects of successful fear tactics, it is more difficult to observe how they work, or as our textbook mentions, “the effectiveness of fear-appeals depends on several factors” (Gass & Seiter 272). I will examine those factors through analyzing a PSA targeted at youth to persuade them against texting while
Persuasion holds place in almost every niche in our societies. Whether in politics, marketing, or public awareness and education programs, the elements of persuasion will always be indirectly or directly present in any society. Persuasion works because it appeals to different emotions and beliefs that are common among the targeted audiences (Walton 54). It hit right where it should and therefore gets results. When the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq, they used one of the most successful tactics in persuasion; fear. They made the public believe that they are under threat and that Saddam Hussein will use weapons of mass destruction against the American people. The result was a wide approval by the congress and most of the public to invade Iraq. …show more content…
Statements such as: “If you cross your eyes, they will stay that way.” “Don’t run with scissors, you will poke your eye out,” and “never talk to strangers. You might be abducted,” (Gass & Seiter 272) are all part of fear tactics that parents use on their children to protect them and make them aware of the danger they might be facing. Nonetheless, scare tactics does not only work on children, it also work on adults. The authors of our text mention that some commentators believe that the “American culture has become a culture based on fear” (Gass & Seiter 272). Fear from catching a deadly disease, an attack by a foreign nation, and many other social issues that might jeopardize our safety. Though it is easy to see the effects of successful fear tactics, it is more difficult to observe how they work, or as our textbook mentions, “the effectiveness of fear-appeals depends on several factors” (Gass & Seiter 272). I will examine those factors through analyzing a PSA targeted at youth to persuade them against texting while