Get Greater Social Media Influence Using the Amplification Hypothesis
Amplification Hypothesis
When communicating with another person, show certainty about an attitude to cause the attitude to increase or harden. Displaying uncertainty about an attitude will soften that attitude.
Tailor your communication to suit the attitude; a cognitive attack on a person with an emotional attitude will amplify resistance. Notice that an emotional argument never works on a person driven by logic and vice versa.
How it works
For a real-life example of how the amplification hypothesis works, consider your social media feeds. Notice that when a person says something often and with authority, others listen and their social media influence increases.
Essentially, this is one of the social psychological theories that is the underlying factor of social persuasion. The repeated expression of a particular idea or thought with absolute conviction and confidence will boost credibility. This is because others will be more likely to accept another’s views when they are expressed with authority.
Factors influencing amplification hypothesis
The social psychology that influences the persuasion process is influenced by the following factors:
Credibility: The credibility and reputation of the communicator affects the acceptance of the message by the receiver.
Order of opinions: There seem to be two differing schools of thoughts on this one. Some say that opinions supporting an idea should be placed at the opening of the message while yet others feel they should be included at the end for reinforcement.
Stating both sides of the coin: If the receiver does not agree with an idea it is best to include both pros and cons in your message to boost social persuasion. If the receiver agrees with the idea or does not know much concerning the subject, it’s best to only include only the pros. But one must remember that this will offer lower social persuasion.
Drawing conclusions: If the receiver is open to an idea, it is best to leave them to draw their own conclusions rather than stating them in your message.
