Chapter 14: Nonliteral language, persuasion, and memory

The Exercise of Power in Communication

“…However, found many other, cognitively more demanding, structures to be more persuasive; for example, lexical diversity and equivocal messages were reported to heighten the speaker's competence and hence to contribute to attitude change. Other studies have found metaphors (Kreuz and Ashley 2006) and ambiguity to be successful in persuading others (O'Keefe 1990: 13). We should keep in mind that such linguistic elements are not used exclusively in a persuasive way.…”