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Channels of Communication | 57

One pervasive complexity revealed by this matrix is that a communica-
tion factor that is conducive to persuasion via one of the behavioural steps
(for example comprehension) tends to be detrimental to it via another step
(such as yielding).
We have such a situation in the case of ‘fear appeals’ where pointing out
more vividly the dangers of non-compliance might increase ‘yielding’ but
decrease ‘comprehension’ and ‘retention’ of the relevant message content. It
also occurs with certain personality characteristics like self esteem, which are
conducive to attitude change through increased ‘attention’ and ‘comprehension’
but are detrimental via increased ‘yielding’.
Again one can with some analytic skill compare the level at which the
maximum impact occurs in one situation with that in other situation. For
e.g., if we learn empirically in a particular public health campaign the level
of fear arousal that is optimal for getting to public to take adequate health
measures in a given situation, we can then with some interpretative skill state
in other analyses the situation taking into account how much of the variance
in attitude change impact will derive from each of the six mediating steps in
the matrix.

Education/Persuasion

The purpose of education has always been that of providing useful informa-
tion and adding to the storehouse o knowledge. Transmission of knowledge
so as to foster intellectual development, the formation of character, and the
acquisition of skills and capacities at all stages in life are the basic exemp-
tions out of the process of education. But education and persuasion have
always had something in common. Both employ communication from one
source to change the views of the target receiver, except that education aims
at changing the beliefs, while persuasion and propaganda aim at changing
the feeling and dispositions to a purpose, i.e., action to go for the product or
service being offered. Changes or conversions seldom occur with extremists
but they do occur with those in the middle of the road. Political preference,
religious attitudes, social commitments and the like however, are not as easily
changed as a decision to switch from one brand of toothbrush to another.
All these have to be kept in mind while analyzing educational or persuasive
communication using the matrix form.

Socialization
The media provide the viewers with the values that form their opinions. They
do this in stories, in discussions, in articles, in comics, in advertisements and
commercials, in all of these situations we are taught how to dress for differ-
ent occasions, the proper way to eat, what a proper meal should consist of,

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