Essay Undergraduate 984 words

Attitude Functions and Persuasion in the ELM Model

~5 min read 5 sections Psychology

Abstract

This paper examines the psychological functions of attitudes and the processes by which they can be changed through persuasion. Drawing on Snyder and DeBono's functional theory, the paper identifies four core attitude functions—ego-defensive, knowledge, value expressive, and social adjustive—and supplements these with Levin's instrumental function. Real-world examples, including consumer brand preferences and voting behavior, illustrate how different functions operate differently across individuals. The paper then analyzes the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), explaining how the central route engages high-involvement cognitive processing while the peripheral route relies on cues such as jingles and brand mascots to sustain consumer awareness.

Key Takeaways

Introduction to Functional Theories of Attitudes: Functional theory overview and individual variation
The Four Core Attitude Functions: Ego-defensive, knowledge, value expressive, social adjustive
The Instrumental Function and Brand Attitudes: Levin's fifth function and consumer brand examples
The Elaboration Likelihood Model: Two Routes to Persuasion: ELM definition and central vs. peripheral routes
Central and Peripheral Routes: Examples and Implications: Advertising cues, mascots, and consumer consciousness

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What makes this paper effective

Each attitude function is immediately grounded in a concrete, relatable example (e.g., voting behavior for value expressive, cocktail fundraisers for social adjustive), making abstract theory accessible.
The paper builds systematically, moving from Snyder and DeBono's foundational four functions to Levin's fifth function and then to brand-level applications, showing genuine theoretical integration.
The ELM section uses vivid advertising examples (the Michelin Man, the Geico Gecko) to distinguish central from peripheral processing in a memorable and analytically clear way.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates source synthesis: rather than summarizing one theorist at a time in isolation, it layers multiple scholars (Snyder, Levin, LeBoeuf, O'Guinn) so that each source extends or qualifies the previous one. This creates a cumulative argument rather than a series of disconnected summaries.

Structure breakdown

The paper is organized into two clearly signaled question-response blocks. The first block addresses attitude functions in five parts: Snyder's four functions, Levin's instrumental addition, and LeBoeuf's brand application. The second block addresses the ELM, first defining the model and then distinguishing central and peripheral routes with advertising examples. Citations are integrated throughout rather than clustered, supporting each individual claim as it is made.

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Essay 984 words

Introduction to Functional Theories of Attitudes

Mark Snyder and Kenneth G. DeBono reference "functional theories" of attitudes, explaining that the functional aspect of attitudes allows people to "execute plans and achieve goals" (Snyder, et al, 1989). Importantly, functional theory often serves "very different functions for different people" because, even when two individuals hold very similar attitudes, the persuasive conditions required to change those attitudes may "be quite different" (Snyder, 340). As Snyder emphasizes, in order to "successfully change an attitude," the specific function being served by that attitude must be directly addressed.

4 Sections Hidden · 750 words

The Four Core Attitude Functions280 words

Snyder and DeBono identify four distinct functions that attitudes can perform. The first is the ego-defensive function: people protect themselves from "accepting…

The Instrumental Function and Brand Attitudes200 words

Kenneth Levin and colleagues add an instrumental function to the four functions identified by Snyder. Attitudes serving an instrumental function are defined by the "motivation to…

The Elaboration Likelihood Model: Two Routes to Persuasion110 words

The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) proposes that, in order to understand how "a persuasive communication may affect a person's attitudes," one must consider the motivation and ability of that person to elaborate on the message being processed (O'Guinn, et al, 2008, 169). O'Guinn identifies two distinct routes to attitude change: the central route…

Central and Peripheral Routes: Examples and Implications160 words

When an individual's involvement with a product is high, the central route generates cognitive responses that: (a) come to mind quickly for use in product selection; (b) resist competitors' attempts to change attitudes; (c) persist in memory without requiring repeated advertising exposure; and (d) serve as excellent predictors of behavior (O'Guinn, 171). These characteristics make the central route particularly powerful for high-involvement purchases…

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Works Cited

Hansen, Flemming Yssing, and Christiansen, Sverre Riis. (2007). Emotions, Advertising and Consumer Choice. Frederiksberg, DK: Copenhagen Business School Press.

O'Guinn, Thomas, Allen, Chris T., and Semenik, Richard J. (2008). Advertising & Integrated Brand Promotion. Independence, KY: Cengage Learning.

Snyder, Mark, and DeBono, Kenneth G. (1989). "Understanding the Functions of Attitudes: Lessons from Personality and Social Behavior." In Attitude Structure and Function, Eds. A. Pratkanis, S. Breckler, and A. Greenwald. Florence, KY: Psychology Press.

Key Concepts in This Paper

Attitude Functions Ego-Defensive Value Expressive Social Adjustive Instrumental Function Elaboration Likelihood Model Central Route Peripheral Route Persuasion Consumer Behavior