1 Prepared by Robert Gass & John Seiter
Transcription
1 Prepared by Robert Gass & John Seiter
Prepared by Robert Gass & John Seiter C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 1 ETHICAL ISSUES ARE BOUND UP IN THE USE OF COMMUNICATION Every interaction involves a “content” and a “relationship” dimension ethical implications are entailed in both dimensions Persuasion is goal-directed Persuaders must make choices between means and ends Richard Weaver maintains that all language is “sermonic” Language is inherently normative, value-laden C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 2 IN GENERAL, IS PERSUASION UNETHICAL? negative stereotypes persuasion as “sophistry,” including deceit, beguilement, trickery idealistic view Note, that all of these views are persuasive in and of themselves A person who is attempting to convince others that persuasion is unethical is persuading persuasion as “manipulation,” getting others to do our bidding feminist view persuasion as a “masculine,” “patriarchal” practice C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 3 OUR VIEW OF ETHICS AND PERSUASION Idealistic views of human communication are unrealistic, impractical communication does break down people do have incompatible goals Persuasion is not a dirty word “tool” analogy of persuasion (amoral view) The motives color the means The motives (ends) of the persuader, more than the strategy used (means), is what makes persuasion more or less ethical C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 4 THE MOTIVES COLOR THE MEANS means “good” motive or end “bad” motive or end Use of deception Concealing a surprise party for the person in whose honor the party is being given Trying to swindle an elderly person out of his/her life savings Use of fear appeals Trying to convince a child never to accept a ride from a stranger Threatening to demote an employee for resisting a superior’s sexual advances Trying to cheer up a friend who Lavishing attention on a dying Use of ingratiation is discouraged about a grade relative in hopes of being on a test named in the will C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 5 ETHICS OF CENTRAL VS. PERIPHERAL PROCESSING Central processing is based on: thought, reflection, deliberation scrutiny of message content high level of receiver involvement Peripheral processing is based on: Cultural differences Individualistic cultures tend to favor direct strategies Collectivistic cultures tend to favor indirect strategies mental shortcuts such as credibility, images, appearancebased cues emotional processing low level of receiver involvement C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 6 ETHICAL QUESTIONS THAT CAN’T BE ANSWERED BY RESEARCH “Truth” versus “truths” Issues related to the ends of persuasion pro-life versus pro-choice same sex marriage assisted suicide capital punishment C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 7 DIFFERENT FIELDS HAVE DIFFERENT ETHICAL STANDARDS The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates truth in advertising Institute for Advertising Ethics http://www.aaf.org/default.asp?i d=1236 American Association of Advertising Agencies American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ind ex.aspx International Sociological Association http://www.isasociology.org/about/isa_code_of_et hics.htm http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ index.aspx Word of Mouth Marketing Association http://www.womma.org/ethics C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 8 CHARACTERISTICS OF ETHICAL INFLUENCE Intentionality Conscious awareness Free choice, free will Language-based Reliance on central processing Presumptive superiority of words over images C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 9 PERSUADERS AS LOVERS Brockriede’s types of arguers Seducers use charm deception, flattery, beguilement Rapists use force, coercion, threats, ultimatums Lovers view another as a partner Characteristics of ethical influence Respect Reaffirming the other’s self worth Treating another with dignity Equality Equal status, shared goals Tolerance Respecting differences of opinion Remaining open to new ideas C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 10 ROBERT CIALDINI’S ETHICAL APPROACH Bunglers are inept, utilize ineffective strategies, may use unethical strategies because they don’t know any better an inept salesperson, a naïve persuader, an uninformed advocate Smugglers are sneaky, have little or no concern for ethics, will resort to any strategy to succeed con artists, hucksters, high pressure salespeople Sleuths Are knowledgeable about persuasion, employ effective and ethical strategies, and adapt their message to the listener’s frame of reference TED talks speakers, Steve Jobs’ commencement address, C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 11 WHEN IS BANNING PERSUASION ETHICAL? Should some forms of persuasion be banned? Hate speech? (Westboro Baptist Church) Speech codes on college campuses? Cyber-bullying? KKK or Nazi rallies? Abortion clinic hecklers? Is there a right to avoid influence attempts? Telemarketing Spam Webtracking Aggressive panhandling C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 12 IS THE USE OF COERCION EVER BE ETHICALLY JUSTIFIED? A child is forced to get a vaccination by his or her parents a psychotic or delusional person is forcibly restrained so he/she won’t harm him/her self or someone else Enhanced interrogation techniques: under a ticking bomb” scenario, is using torture to save lives justifiable? C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 13 ETHICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING SOURCE CREDIBILITY Is it unethical for a celebrity endorser to promote a product or service he or she does not actually use, or about which he or she lacks expertise? Does the use of authority become an abuse of authority if receivers place too much faith or reliance in a particular source? Would a celebrity say the same thing about a product if she/he were not being paid? Does “bona fide” user mean the celebrity uses a product once per week, once per year, or once only? Celebrity endorsers must disclose their relationship with an advertiser They must be a “bona fide” user of the product C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 14 ETHICAL QUESTIONS RELATING TO CHILDREN What ethical guidelines should be followed when attempting to persuade highly vulnerable audiences? Children May believe all ads are truthful and accurate May be lured by giveaways (free toy) May be exposed to adult advertising Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) limits information that kids are required to divulge online C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 15 SELLING OVER-SEXED TOYS TO KIDS Baby Bratz dolls are popular with girls ages 4-12 The dolls are dressed in provocative clothing Accessories include Jacuzzis and mixed drinks The American Psychological Association maintains that Bratz dolls contributes to the early sexualization of girls (APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, 2004) C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 16 ETHICAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO SENIORS Elderly Are more vulnerable to scams: 80% of fraud victims are 65 or older (FTC) 55-80% of telemarketing is aimed at seniors (National Crime Prevention Council) Elderly are more likely to fall for deceptive prize promotions, sweepstakes, lottery scams, bogus charities, and bank error scams Aging results in damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex which regulates doubt and skepticism (Rogalsky, Vidal, Li, & Damasio, 2012) C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 17 ETHICAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO AT-RISK ADULTS Poor, inner-city residents People living in poor, urban environments are subjected to more billboard ads for alcohol and cigarettes Because they often lack education, they are susceptible to misleading advertising Immigrants, non-English speakers Employers may exploit undocumented workers by denying them benefits, allowing unsafe working conditions, and threatening to report workers if they complain C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 18 ALCOHOL ADVERTISING IN THE INNER CITY African-American communities are targeted by the alcohol and tobacco industry Billboards: 55%-58% of inner city billboards carried cigarette and/or alcohol ads compared to only 34% in more affluent areas Magazine ads: Black youths were exposed to 66% more beer and ale ads and 81% more distilled spirits magazine advertisements in 2002 Radio ads: Blacks youths heard 12% more beer advertising and 56% more ads for distilled spirits than non-African-American youth C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 19 COMMON CRITICISMS OF ADVERTISERS/MARKETERS Advertising sells us dreams and entices us with romanticized images Advertising makes us believe there is a quick fix for all of life’s problems Advertising panders to our desires for things that are bad for us Advertisers manipulate us into wanting things we don’t really need C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 20 COMMON RESPONSES TO CRITICISMS Caveat emptor—let the buyer beware Consumer stupidity is not the fault of advertising Media literacy movement: can facilitate better understandings of media Economic Darwinism: bad products won’t survive no matter how good the advertising The FCC and other watchdog groups already regulate advertising Advertisers and other groups have their own professional codes of ethics C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 21 ETHICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING DECEPTION Is deception ever justified? Is honesty always the best policy? Is deception a form of communication competence? Should people practice being better deceivers? Not all lies are self-serving. Would you tell the Nazis if Anne Frank were hiding in your attic? Are parents who tell their children about Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny bad parents? C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 22 DOCTOR-PATIENT DECEPTION Is an M.D.’s use of strategic ambiguity, equivocation, a lie of omission, or other type of deception ever justifiable? Scenario: A pedestrian, who has Possible answers: “I’ll do everything I can.” “It’s too soon to tell.” “I’m afraid it doesn’t look good.” been run over by a car, arrives at the emergency room “There is serious injury to both legs and damage to your spine.” The ER physician can tell that the patients’ legs are crushed and there is damage to the spine “I’ll be honest with you, you’ll probably live, but you’ll be confined to a wheelchair the rest of your life.” The patient asks, “Am I going to be okay? Am I going to live? Will I be able to walk again?” Question: What should the doctor Is a patient’s right to know tempered by the need to prevent added stress? Can a patient who is in a state of shock make an informed decision? say? C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 23 ETHICS AND THE USE OF THREATS AND FEAR APPEALS Is the use of threats ever ethically justifiable? Is the use of fear appeals ever ethically justifiable and, if so, under what conditions or circumstances? C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 24 AMERICA: A CULTURE OF FEAR? Barry Glassner, a sociology professor at USC, claims Americans are bombarded with fear appeals Fear mongering increases during “sweeps “week on TV Fear of terrorism National health insurance and “death panels” Fear of immigrants taking jobs, jobs being outsourced overseas Fear of exotic diseases Fear of ailments that require prescription drugs Fear of crime, violence Fear of lack of health care coverage Fear of Social Security cuts C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 25 A CULTURE OF FEAR? Scary diseases Swine flue or H1N1 Mad cow disease West Nile virus Sars Yet, many Americans fail to get a flu shot Some 10,000 or more people die per year from the flu! No one in the U.S.A. has died from Mad Cow disease (BSE) Ebola Flesh eating virus Avian flu C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 26 PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES AND FEAR MONGERING Is the purple pill right for you? Pharmaceutical firms claim they are “empowering consumers” by running ads But are they creating unnecessary demand? U.S. drug makers spend 2.5 times as much on marketing and administration as they do on research 75 percent of new drugs approved by the FDA are me-too drugs “no better than drugs already on the market to treat the same condition.” Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 27 KEEP THE NUMBERS IN PERSPECTIVE Mass shootings: There were 16 mass shootings in 2012, that left 88 people dead BUT 137 children, ages 15 or younger drowned in pools and spas in 2012 Drownings are much more preventable-all that is required is adult supervision Compared to: 35,000 injuries per year from nail guns Food allergy fatalities 100200 per year Bathtubs: 337 fatalities Dog bites: 16 fatalities Fireworks: 13 fatalities Hornets, wasps, and bees: 46 fatalities Lightning: 63 fatalities C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 28 ETHICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT EMOTIONAL APPEALS Is playing on another’s emotions ethically defensible? Are some types of emotional appeals better, or more ethically defensible than others? Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech employed emotional appeals Coaches use emotional appeals to inspire their teams C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 29 ETHICAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE USE OF INGRATIATION? Is ingratiation an unethical strategy, or an honest acknowledgement of the way things work? Research by Ronald Deluga shows ingratiating employees enjoy a 5% advantage when it comes to employee performance reviews C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 30 ETHICS AND VISUAL PERSUASION Lancet reported that aid organizations seek to raise their own media profile at the expense of the needy Philip Morris spends twice as much promoting its philanthropy as it does on philanthropy itself Pharmaceutical manufacturers spend twice as much on marketing as on basic research C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 31 THE CAMERA DOES LIE The infamous KONY documentary; false and misleading images The documentary quality of photographs and video footage makes people believe photos are “objective,” “impartial” representations of reality C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 32 ETHICAL OF SUBLIMINAL PERSUASION Should subliminal messages be allowed and, if so, should they be regulated by the government or some other institution? Do online subliminal messages pose any risk? C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P E A R S O N E D U C AT I O N , I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . 33