Download Perceptual Bending Perceptual Bending: Applying the Elaboration

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Perceptual Bending
Perceptual Bending: Applying the Elaboration Likelihood
Model to the Revolution in The Legend of Korra
Adriana Morales
Rensselear Polytechnic Institute
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Background
Nickelodeon’s award-winning animation series, Avatar: the Legend of Korra, takes place in
an Asian-influenced world home to humans, animals, and spirits. Human civilization is divided
into four nations: the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Each
sovereign nation has a distinct society and culture, where portions of the population known as
Benders possess the unique physical ability to manipulate their nation’s element. Only one
person, known as the Avatar, possesses the ability to control all four elements and acts as the
guardian of the four nations. Following the end of an imperialistic war led by the Fire Nation,
the former Fire Nation colonies in Earth Kingdom became a new country called the United
Republic where people of all four nations live together. However, the country’s capitol,
Republic City, is not utopian society. It is muddled in the affairs of an ongoing battle involving
organized criminal bending gangs and a growing disparity in wealth between classes.
Republic City’s external conflicts have internally enflamed a proletariat revolution
between the haves and the haves-not that threatens to dismantle the social and government
institutions of the city; however, this proletariat revolution is not a socioeconomic conflict
between classes but an entirely different struggle for power between benders and non-benders.
Amon is the leader of the Equalists, a political terrorist group, who believes that he and the nonbender community have been oppressed by benders and is determine to overthrow the bending
establishments such as the council and police force. Amon’s tactics to revolutionize the cultural,
economic, and socio-political institutions of Republic utilize terrorism, propaganda, and mass
communication in order to persuade non-benders to follow his cause.
Situation Analysis
A social scientific approach is used to analyze Amon’s persuasive tactics to revolutionize
the socio-political environment of Republic City. Amon’s schemes have widespread influences
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on different societal echelons and governmental institutions. An empirical collection of
evidence is rationalized in order to apply the elaboration likelihood model to this case study.
Revolutionists vindicate their cause through manipulation and perceptual distortion of
information and reality while instigating conflict. Amon’s means of propaganda and terrorism
to persuade and terrify Republic civilians follows the principles of the elaboration likelihood
model. According to Dainton and Kelly (2011), “the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) views
persuasion primarily as a cognitive event, meaning that the targets of persuasive messages use
mental processes of motivation and reasoning (or a lack thereof) to accept or reject persuasive
messages” (p. 126). The elaboration likelihood model explains the purpose and perceptual
process behind the revolution’s political propaganda and social doctrines. In the elaboration
likelihood model there are two directions of persuasion, the central route or peripheral route.
Centrally routed messages target individuals who are highly motivated and are able to
cognitively process the message, and will often feature evidence to support a rational argument
(Dainton & Kelly, 2011). On the other hand, peripheral messages rely on pathos to effectively
persuade untargeted recipients who are incapable of relating to or understanding persuader’s
cause. Amon’s tactics to persuade and instill fear apply the central and peripheral routes of
persuasion depending on his target audience.
Amon uses central routed messages to create a positive cognitive response in the minds
of the recipients that align their beliefs with his. Oppressed, jaded, and agitated members of the
non-bending community are the targets Amon is determined to persuade since they are victims
of the bending elites and are easy to appeal to. During the Equalists rallies, Amon constructs
elaborate arguments that are not only filled with passion and anger, but logically place the
blame on benders. In his most famous speech he states that
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“As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City. And if she were here,
she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But she is wrong. The only
thing bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in
every era. But that is about to change. I know you've been wondering, 'what is the
revelation?' You are about to get your answer. Since the beginning of time, the spirits
have acted as guardians of our world and they have spoken to me. They say the Avatar
has failed humanity. That is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of
balance. They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality, the power to
take a person's bending away, permanently” (DiMartino & Konietzko, 2012).
His speech uses strong arguments in order inoculate the audience against counterpersuasion (in
this case, pro-bending arguments) and to recreate a long-term attitude change that leads to their
devotion. He argues that bending “has been the cause of every war in every era.” During the
communication process, his statement arouses memories of suffering from the imperialistic Fire
Nation’s hundred year war, and his receivers rationally link these two indication, their suffering
and his reason, together. He repeatedly states that bending has been cause of all of the world’s
suffering and that the Avatar has failed humanity. Generally, the Avatar is considered to be a
savior of unquestionable physical power and unadulterated morality. However, Amon asserts a
counter opinion that places the blame on the Avatar and uses her as an escape goat. His
listeners process the evidence rationally and ultimately realize that the Avatar has failed to
protect them. She embodies everything they despise about the bending society; therefore they
will no longer view her as a holy deity but as an enemy. They logically realize that there are no
powerful figures to represent them as sides from Amon. By stating himself as an act of
providence, Amon develops a cult following. The non-bender’s hatred towards the Avatar
aligns them closer to him because they view as him savior who will “usher in a new era of
balance.” His repetition of the Avatar’s errors enhances the persuasive effect of his strong
argument. His use of logos and pathos generates a committal cognitive response from the
receivers of his message.
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Amon’s peripherally routed messages rely on psychological warfare to sway nonbenders into following his cause and to terrorize the benders. His psychological warfare tactics
include propaganda and public displays of power. According to Taylor (1987), psychological
warfare is defined as “ the planned use of propaganda and other psychological actions having
the primary purpose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of hostile
foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of national objects”. In the
elaboration likelihood model, peripheral routed messages rely mainly on aesthetics and cues to
target participants who are unable to rationally process Amon’s arguments. The primary
purpose of Amon’s propaganda is to portray himself as the liberator and benders as the
enemies. For example, on the Equalists’ recruitment posters, Amon is depicted as godlike
figure raising his hand to sky beckoning for the sun to come through. The depiction of him
stresses for reverence and makes him an adored figure non-benders should faithfully worship.
The national objective of his organization is to bring equality to Republic City, thus the beaming
sun symbolizes a new era of peace and equality. As for the public demonstrations, he
brandishes his anger and power in order to shock benders into submission. During his
Revelation rally, Amon publically exhibits the strength of his power by fighting a captive
criminal Firebender who was leader of the Triple Threat Triad, a gang notorious for exploiting
non-benders. As the ultimate scare tactic, Amon conquers the Firebender by taking his
firebending away with a blow to head. The demonstration portrays him as vigilante seeking
divine retribution. The peripheral messages rely on the receivers’ emotional involvement,
whether their emotions are adoration or trepidation. Depending on the content of Amon’s
message, they recipient will either feel either protected or threatened.
Differing communication processes further divide Republic City’s societies. Amon’s
propaganda and arguments utilize a rhetorical message design logic that benefits both him and
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non-benders but not benders. For example, Amon weaves a story in order to justify his cause
and to appeal to his followers:
“My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived
on a small farm. We weren't rich and none of us were benders. This made us very easy
targets for the Firebender who extorted my father. One day, my father confronted this
man. But when he did, that Firebender took my family from me. Then, he took my face.
I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since” (DiMartino & Konietzko, 2012).
Amon is an enigmatic figure whose personal history is still a mystery. Nonetheless, his
peripherally routed lies evoke sympathy from non-benders and allow them to superficially
evaluate the content of Amon’s messages, and with hopeful feelings they align themselves with
the opposition. On the other hand, benders perceive Amon’s story to be deceitful and his
communication hostile and threatening. As the Equalists continue to grow in size, the number
of conflicts between benders and non-benders grows, as well. Each group has developed their
own distinct ideology and belief-system towards the issue. These in-groups serve as social
affiliations to which an individual feels belonged. The anti-bending and pro-bending groups
communicate their social identity by either supporting the Equalists or Republic City’s
government. Amon’s persuasion has created a divide amongst society that will escalate into a
civil war.
Conclusion
The elaboration likelihood model provides an open-ended heuristic approach to
analyzing the persuasive tactics of central and peripheral routed messages. Although the model
is able to describe the process that results from an individual’s motivational state of, the
elaboration likelihood is limited in the way it predicts the motivational state. Amon’s
propaganda and public speeches might have been able to previously persuade non-benders, but
those same tactics are not a guaranteed indicator that they will be effective in the future. The
elaboration likelihood model does not acknowledge other external factors that might influence
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an individual’s decisions. Additionally, multiple peripheral cues may be considered to be a
centrally routed message. When Amon publically displayed his ability to take a bender’s
bending away, this can be viewed as a central routed message. Benders will logically perceive
him to be threat since his demonstration revealed that he is powerful threat that cannot be
stopped. Despite its few limitations, the elaboration likelihood model provides a relatively
straightforward process in analyzing persuasive content.
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References
Dainton, M., & Zelley, E. D. (2010). Applying communication theory for professional life, a practical
introduction. (2 ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
DiMartino, Michael Dante (Writer), Konietzko, Bryan (Writer), Ryu, Ki Hyun (Director), &
Santos, Joaquim Dos (Director). The Revelation. DiMartino, Michael Dante
(Producer), Konietzko, Bryan (Producer), The Legend of Korra. Burbank, California:
Nickelodeon Studios.
Taylor, Phil. (1987). Glossary of Relevant terms & Acronyms Propaganda and Psychological Warfare
Studies. University of Leeds. http://icswww.leeds.ac.uk/papers/vp01.cfm?outfit
=pmt&folder=64&paper=665