> Source credibility is one the most controllable aspects of a persuasive messag

Question

> Source credibility is one the most controllable aspects of a persuasive message. Think of a persuasive message (a speech, a class, an advertisement, a political figure, etc.) that you thought was a credible, believable source of information. What did that person or source do to make themselves appear to be credible?

> Source credibility is one the most controllable aspects of a persuasive message. Think of a persuasive message (a speech, a class, an advertisement, a political figure, etc.) that you thought was NOT a credible, believable source of information. What did that person or source do to make themselves appear to lack credibility? In other words, what should you try to avoid doing?

Explanation / Answer

In my opinion, perhaps an example of a persuasive message that lacked any kind of source credibility was an email that informed me that I had won a lottery, and in order to claim the prize had to share my contact information. I have received emails such as these from various sources but all similar in essence. Firstly, the internet itself is a questionable source as anonymity and accessibility makes it easy to spread false information. Thus, the medium of internet itself is something that requires cross-checking and verification. Next, I could see a clear ulterior motive of the email, which was to obtain my contact information. Although every persuasive message seeks to creat a psychological impact, it is usually more subtle. This therefore aroused my suspicion and led me discard laying any attention to such emails in the future.

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