Elaboration Likelihood Model

Definition: The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion is a dual process theory that describes how attitudes form and change. It aims to explain different ways of processing stimuli, why they are used, and their outcomes on attitude change.  The two distinct routes of persuasion are central and peripheral.
Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion (pp. 1-24). Springer New York.

Application: In community development, it is necessary for community organizers to understand their communities involvement. If the involvement is low, the number of arguments are more important than having a weak or strong argument.  However, if the community is involved, it is important to use a lot of strong arguments, and if your arguments are weak, only say a few things.

Adaptation: This theory can be used in political debates. Knowing the difference between central and peripheral persuasion routes are important because the usefulness of certain factors such as the number of arguments, and using weak or strong arguments depend on the involvement (low/high) of the listeners. If people are only listening for a small amount of time such as through a commercial, in which they are distracted by other things, it is important for politicians to say as much as possible and does not depend strongly on the level of arguments.