The purpose of this post is to satisfy my Artifact Analysis assignment for my communication 333-Persuasion course at Old Dominion University. The artifact that I will be examining for this assignment is The Wedding Ringer with Kevin Hart and Josh Gad. This artifact analysis will use three models we have discussed in our lectures to examine the movie. The three models we will look at in this post will be social judgement theory, elaboration likelihood model, and cognitive dissonance theory. This post will examine each model and identify how traits and characteristics of each character are used in the persuasion of the storyline.
Where is the Persuasion?
First some context on the movie, The Wedding Ringer is a movie that features persuasion as a key element in the storyline. The film, released in 2015, follows a socially awkward groom, played by Josh Gad, who hires a professional best man, played by Kevin Hart, to help him pull off the picture-perfect wedding for the girl of his dreams. Throughout the film, the professional best man uses his persuasive skills to convince the groom's friends and family that he is a longtime friend of the groom. The objective of the hired best man is to pull off an elaborate scheme by making the grooms wedding party relationships appear authentic. The movie explores the concept of persuasion in the context of personal relationships and social expectations while also showing how persuasion can be used to manipulate others for personal gain.
Now that we have some context around the storyline, let’s look at each model and break down how the script writers used persuasion throughout the storyline for this film.
Social Judgement Theory
According to Persuasion: Social Influence and Compliance Gaining (2014), Social Judgement Theory (SJT) proposes that people's attitudes and beliefs are organized along a continuum, with a range of possible positions between acceptance and rejection. (Gass et. al, p. 104-107). The theory suggests that persuasive messages are most effective when they fall within an individual's latitude of acceptance, meaning that they are close enough to the individual's existing beliefs to be perceived as reasonable and credible.
Looking at this film with this lens revealed, Kevin Hart's character, Jimmy Callahan, using the Social Judgement Theory model to persuade the groom, Doug, Josh Gad’s character, to hire him as his best man. Jimmy tailored his pitch to Doug's specific needs and beliefs. Jimmy highlighted the benefits of having a perfect wedding and a perfect marriage and positioned himself as the solution to Doug's problems. He framed his message in a way that resonated with Doug's existing beliefs and attitudes ultimately persuading Doug to hire him as his best man.
The second way this presented in this film was when Jimmy and Doug persuaded Doug’s family that his groomsmen and best man are genuinely his longtime friends. They do this by carefully framing their messages to fall within the family’s latitude of acceptance. Doug and Jimmy began by presenting a believable backstory for their friendship, complete with shared memories and experiences. They also use humor and charm to make their story more engaging and likable, which helped to increase the wedding party's latitude of acceptance. Doug and Jimmy strategically revealed information that supported their story and portrayed Jimmy as trustworthy and reliable. Building his characteristics and traits around what Doug knew the family would accept.
For example, when Jimmy successfully navigates a difficult situation at the bachelor party, Doug, and Jimmy use this as evidence of their close friendship and Jimmy's loyalty. By presenting a consistent and believable narrative that aligned with the family’s existing beliefs around friendship and loyalty, Doug and Jimmy were able to persuade them that Jimmy was a genuine friend rather than a hired actor.
This shows how Social Judgement Theory can be used to effectively persuade others by framing persuasive messages in a way that resonates with their existing attitudes and beliefs. Now let’s look at how the Elaboration Likelihood model was used in the film.
Elaboration Likelihood Model
The Elaboration Likelihood Model proposes that there are two routes to persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route according to our course textbook, Persuasion: Social Influence and Compliance Gaining, (Gass et. al, p. 36-38). The central route involves careful and deliberate processing of persuasive messages, while the peripheral route involves more superficial and automatic processing.
Jimmy and Doug use the peripheral route of persuasion, relying on cues such as Jimmy's appearance, humor, and charm to create a positive impression and gain the wedding party's trust. (Building his traits and characteristics). For example, when Jimmy first met the wedding party, he dressed in a stylish and expensive suit, which helped to establish his credibility by suggesting that he is a successful and trustworthy individual. He also used humor and charm to create a positive impression and make the wedding party feel comfortable around him.
As the movie progressed, Jimmy continued to use peripheral cues such as his appearance and humor to reinforce his positive image and gain the family’s trust. He strategically revealed personal information about himself and Doug to create a sense of shared experience and build emotional connections with the wedding party. The Elaboration Likelihood Model was used to effectively persuade others by tailoring persuasive messages to resonate with their peripheral cues. That leaves us with cognitive dissonance theory, let’s dive into that now.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Chapter Three of Persuasion: Social Influence and Compliance Gaining (2014) explains that Cognitive Dissonance Theory proposes that people experience discomfort when their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors are inconsistent with one another. (Gass et. al, p. 62-64). This discomfort, known as cognitive dissonance, motivates people to seek out information and attitudes that support their existing beliefs and behaviors, and to reject information and attitudes that are inconsistent with them. How is this presented in the film? Let’s discuss the details.
We saw the cognitive dissonance model at work when Doug's fiancé Gretchen, began to question the authenticity of Jimmy's backstory. Gretchen experiences cognitive dissonance because she has a pre-existing belief that Doug has no close friends, and this belief is now inconsistent with the fact that he apparently had a close friend for years. Jimmy and Doug reinforced their backstory, even though it was not true, which ultimately, allowed Gretchen to resolve her dissonance by finding new information and explanations that supported her existing beliefs and attitudes. This scenario is an example of how Cognitive Dissonance Theory could be used to persuade others by creating a sense of discomfort or inconsistency that motivates them to seek out information or change their beliefs.
Reflection
Personally, I found this assignment interesting. I was able to apply course concepts to my analysis and further my understanding of the three models presented. Knowing how these models present in my life can better equip me to understanding when I am being persuaded. Viewing the film and performing this analysis, I can see our course topics and
how they are actively being used on others.
References
Garelick, J. (Director/Screenwriter), & Green, J. (Screenwriter). (2015). The Wedding Ringer [Motion picture]. United States: Screen Gems. 2023. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0884732/
Gass, R. H., & Seiter, J. S. (2014). Persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining (5th ed.). Pearson. Print. 2023.
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