A Goal Systematic Approach to Persuasion Influencing Attitudes and Behavior

This chapter introduces the goal systematic approach to persuasion. Four distinct persuasive strategies are presented that can be used to alter the goal-means architecture in a decision maker’s mind to influence means’ evaluation. On the goal level, additional goals can be made more or less salient. For instance, a persuader can point out that additional goals the recipient holds are being served or harmed by the target means. On the means level, a persuader can shape the decision context favorably. Persuasive attempts are more successful when accompanied by a substitute means that allows the recipient to still fulfill their needs. For instance, reactance as a response to influence attempts can be reduced when recipients are presented with an alternative means to reassert their attitudinal freedom. Lastly, juxtaposition to a more detrimental means can increase a target means’ perceived instrumentality.