Psychology 315: Psychology and the Mass Media
Assignment Option A: The Power of Advertising
You will select either Assignment Option A or Assignment Option B for the Written
Assignment. Read through both topics and give some thought to each one before you decide
which one you will do. Before you begin, please review the Assignment Manual for additional
information on formatting and APA style. Please review information about academic honesty.
Note that student assignments may be subject to screening with plagiarism detection software.
1. Review the course textbooks and any external sources on the topic of persuasion
techniques used in advertising. Consult the Library Services section of the Student
Manual for information on obtaining library materials to help you with this part of your
2. Select 10 advertisements or commercials that illustrate persuasion techniques that are
discussed in the course. Select as wide a range of techniques as is possible.
3. Write a report that includes the following:
a. An introduction that describes the rationale and purpose of the project, and the
structure of this project.
b. The method used to collect data; for example, how the advertisements or
commercials are selected.
c. For each advertisement or commercial, describe the persuasion technique used.
Explain how a particular persuasion technique or techniques are used in the ad.
For example, some advertisements capitalize on fear while others appeal to expert
advice. Keep in mind that the persuasive appeal is not limited to written words,
but includes how the product is displayed visually. Remember to attach the
advertisements or a recording of the commercials, or computer screen shots of the
advertisements or the website addresses with your assignment.
d. A brief discussion of the effectiveness of each of these techniques, taking into
consideration the target population.
e. A brief conclusion and a description of the limitations of this project.
4. Write a 100- to 150-word summary (the abstract) of your course project.