Persuasion in Advertising: A Research Based Investigative Study Assessment

Assessment

Introduction

Attitudes can be defined as ‘learnt evaluative reactions that are directed towards objects in our environment’. These attitudes may be weak or strong, and can sometimes be changed via the persuasion process. We encounter persuasion attempts in all aspects of life: for example, in advertising, political speeches, and even in conversations with friends.

Persuasion may take two routes the central route, in which attitudes are changed due to strong arguments being presented, or the peripheral route, in which attitudes are changed due to peripheral cues not directly related to the content of the communication.

There are many factors that can influence persuasion. These include:

• Source factors: such as expertise, credibility and attractiveness
• Message factors: the information given, how it is given, peripheral cues
• Audience factors: such as age, expertise, personality and interests.
• Channel factors: such as direct or indirect experience

Description of Task

Part A: Research, deconstruct the problem, and design your own investigation

• Undertake some research to help you understand issues relevant to the persuasion process, such as:
  • Central and peripheral routes to persuasion
  • Factors that affect persuasion (eg source, message, audience, channel)
• Brainstorm the various aspects of the problem. Deconstruct the problem ‘factors that influence persuasion in advertising’ to determine the most appropriate method for investigation – this may be done in a table, flow chart, concept maps, notes, or a combination of methods
• Decide on a topic for your investigation – this will involve testing a factor that could influence persuasion.
• Decide on an appropriate investigation type (experimental, observational, qualitative). Determine your dependent and independent variables (if applicable).
• Formulate an investigable question and hypothesis
• Identify variables and factors that may not be able to be controlled (if applicable)
• Design and justify a method. To do this, you will need to select and suggest appropriate equipment, apparatus and techniques. Include all details required to undertake the investigation. Use annotations or some other method to justify the choices you have made in the design of your investigation. You must also consider the safety aspects as well as ethical issues. Reference your information appropriately.

Part B: Complete an Experiment

• As a class, we will gather some quantitative and qualitative data on Persuasion. This will be done using the SACE pre-approved ‘Persuasion’ research program.
• Individually, you will come up with an aim and hypothesis, and you will then analyse some of the data gathered.
• Finally, you will write a formal report on the investigation.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

The assessment focuses on understanding persuasion in advertising through research, investigation planning, data analysis, and formal reporting. The task is divided into two major components:

Key Requirements:

Part A: Research, Deconstruction & Investigation Design

Students must:

• Research central and peripheral routes to persuasion
• Explore factors influencing persuasion (source, message, audience, channel)
• Brainstorm and deconstruct the problem to identify variables and decide on an appropriate investigation
• Select an investigation type (experimental, observational, qualitative)
• Determine independent and dependent variables
• Formulate an investigable question and hypothesis
• Identify uncontrolled factors
• Design and justify a method, including equipment, techniques, safety, and ethical considerations
• Provide proper referencing

Part B: Conducting the Experiment & Reporting

Students must:

• Participate in class-based data collection using the pre-approved SACE Persuasion program
• Develop their own aim, hypothesis, and analytical approach
• Analyse both quantitative and qualitative data
• Prepare a formal scientific report summarising the investigation, results, and interpretations

How the Academic Mentor Guided the Student 

The academic mentor guided the student through a systematic and inquiry-based process to ensure each assessment requirement was thoroughly addressed.

Step 1: Understanding Persuasion Theory

The mentor began by helping the student:

• Understand attitude formation and change
• Differentiate between central and peripheral persuasion routes
• Explore how source, message, audience, and channel factors influence persuasive outcomes

This theoretical grounding helped the student contextualise the investigation.

Step 2: Deconstructing the Problem

With the mentor’s guidance, the student:

• Conducted brainstorming activities (tables, notes, concept maps)
• Broke down the overarching topic: “Factors influencing persuasion in advertising”
• Identified multiple possible variables to test

This allowed the student to see the complexity of persuasion and narrow the focus for investigation.

Step 3: Choosing the Investigation Focus

The mentor then guided the student in selecting:

• A specific factor to test (e.g., expertise of source, message strength, attractiveness, etc.)
• An appropriate investigation type, typically experimental for testing causal effects

Together, they refined:

• The independent variable (factor influencing persuasion)
• The dependent variable (persuasion outcome, such as attitude change or preference)

Step 4: Formulating the Question and Hypothesis

The student was assisted in:

• Converting the chosen variables into a clear investigable question
• Writing a testable hypothesis predicting the relationship

This step ensured scientific clarity and direction for the investigation.

Step 5: Designing and Justifying the Method

The mentor helped the student:

• Select appropriate materials, equipment, and techniques
• Plan each procedural step clearly
• Justify design choices through annotations, theory, and research
• Identify uncontrolled variables that could impact results
• Address safety and ethical considerations, especially participant consent and confidentiality

The student was also taught how to reference all scientific and theoretical information correctly.

Step 6: Conducting the Class Experiment

During the practical work:

• The mentor supervised data gathering based on the SACE pre-approved Persuasion research program
• The student recorded both quantitative and qualitative data relevant to their hypothesis
• Individual aims and hypotheses were revisited and aligned with collected data

This stage strengthened the student’s practical and observational skills.

Step 7: Analysing the Data

The mentor guided the student to:

• Identify patterns and trends
• Compare results with the expected hypothesis
• Apply relevant psychological concepts and theories
• Draw evidence-based interpretations

The student learned to differentiate between data description and data interpretation.

Step 8: Writing the Formal Report

The mentor helped structure the final report, ensuring it included:

• Introduction (context, theory, aim, hypothesis)
• Method (detailed, justified, ethical)
• Results (tables, graphs, observations)
• Discussion (analysis, limitations, links to theory)
• Conclusion (summary of findings and implications)
• References (following required style)

This completed the full scientific inquiry cycle.

Final Outcome and Learning Objectives Covered

By following the mentor-guided process, the student successfully:

• Completed a well-structured investigation into factors affecting persuasion
• Demonstrated understanding of attitude change, persuasion routes, and influencing factors
• Applied psychological theory to real-world advertising contexts
• Designed and justified a scientific method
• Analysed quantitative and qualitative data accurately
• Produced a complete scientific report meeting academic standards

Learning Objectives Achieved:

• Understanding of persuasion processes and theoretical frameworks
• Ability to deconstruct a complex problem into researchable components
• Skills in scientific designing, hypothesising, and ethical considerations
• Competence in data analysis and interpretation
• Development of formal scientific writing skills

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