Overt and Covert Persuasion

Persuasion is "a symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors regarding an issue through the transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free choice." (Perloff 2003) The influence of the power of persuasion can be obviously noticeable in politics, news, and advertising and this in turn influences us. Persuasion can be indefinable, and our response to such sways depends on a variety of factors.This book is an attempt to explore the status of persuasion, both overt and covert. It concentrates on identifying the rhetorical devices, persuasive techniques and strategies employed by politicians and advertisers.Hence, the book aims at developing a taxonomy of rhetorical devices, persuasive techniques, persuasive strategies and the functions each one assumes when employed by politicians and advertisers; exploring the functions of certain rhetorical devices in both election campaigns and advertising language, identifying the persuasive techniques and persuasive strategies the politicians and advertisers employ, finding out whether politicians use more overt or covert persuasion method as compared to advertisers.