Persuasion, Manipulation, and Seduction as Related to Human Communication Essay

Johnson 2 Since the beginning of the human race, human have use some sort of influence to get other to do what they want them to do. The earliest example of this can be seen in the Garden of Eden, where Adam was influenced to eat from the forbidden fruit. For the purpose of this paper we will attempt to compare the effect of persuasion, manipulation, and seduction as it relates to human communication. Much of human communication involves attempts to influence. It is done verbally and non-verbally, consciously and unconsciously, honestly and deceitfully. Some people may be swayed with reason and logic or by emotions and character. There is no doubt that the power to persuade is a coveted tool for anyone regardless of how they wish to use it. However, beyond simple persuasion are other acts of influence that are just as powerful. The terms persuasion, manipulation, and seduction are sometimes used interchangeable when describing influential behavior (Newell, 2010). Persuasion is the act of influencing others, who are conscious of the intent, through communication. That is they are conscious that attempted influencing is taking place. Also it is under the assumed umbrella of free will meaning that there is no form of duress or outside pressure involved that would force influence. While persuasion is an act that takes place between at least two conscious parties, manipulation happens when the side being influenced is not aware of it. That is a human is programmed over time to execute everyday decisions mindlessly based on the expected behavior of themselves and others. Manipulation takes place when a conscious person triggers an automatic response from an unconscious thinker. The art of seduction, as it is often described, is a kin to persuasion as its intent to influence is known. What sets it apart, Johnson 3 however, is the influencer (seducer) is setup to be the object of desire that will complete the missing parts of audience so that they may be complete (Codoban, 2006). Seduction is also a form of manipulation as it draws upon social programming and natural responses of people. As the tern is used mostly in the relationships of a man and a woman (or sexual preference), there are many programmed and natural responses that take place when a seducer successfully makes themselves the object of another’s desire (Newell, 2006). Sometimes the lines may be blurred when influencing takes place. There are definite moral stigmas attached to each of these influencing techniques. While persuasion has a broad connotation of simple attempts of influence to any audiences, manipulation and seduction have specific undertones of being immoral (Newell, 2006). Modern day persuasive devices are all around us and not all are as obvious as we they are, they can be very subtle. There are many ways in which people work to persuade. In advertising, commercials, magazines, movies, and political campaigns often times we see more empty promises, which classifies much of what we see in those arenas as seduction. On the other hand some of what we see in politics and marketing are closer to manipulation than seduction (Tuenge, 2010). Examples of manipulative devices given by Codoban (2006) were as follow, reciprocity, the consistency mechanism and social proof principle (p. 153-154).