Monroe's motivated sequence

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Monroe's motivated sequence is a technique for organizing persuasion that inspires people to take action. Alan H. Monroe developed this sequence in the mid-1930s.[1] This sequence is unique because it strategically places these strategies to arouse the audience's attention and motivate them toward a specific goal or action. Motivated sequence aligns with Edmund Burke's ideas on proper speech form and John Dewey's ideas on qualitative unity.[2]

Foundation[edit]

Alan H. Monroe developed Monroe's Motivated Sequence Theory after studying John Dewey’s work on psycho-logic for human problem-solving and combining it with our human tendency to be self-motivated and self-centered. Monroe’s sequence draws from Maslow’s hierarchy in the sense, that the problem has to correspond with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs- lower level first. [3][4]

Alan H. Monroe[edit]

Alan H. Monroe was born in 1903. Monroe earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University and taught at Purdue University.[5] By 1926, Monroe shifted his focus from English to Public Speaking and by 1927, he was promoted to assistant professor of Public Speaking.[5] Throughout his time teaching at Purdue University, Monroe continued his education at Northwestern University, earning his master's degree in 1927 and his Doctorate in 1937. In 1963, Monroe retired from Purdue University. He died in 1975.[5]

Steps[edit]

Monroe's motivated sequence states that on the first step is to state the problem the customer is having, then explain it if one cannot solidify the need and give a representation of the situation that may occur.

Attention
The attention step is audience-focused and uses an attention-getter to catch the audience's attention.
Need
The topic is applied to the psychological needs of the audience members. Monroe believed that it was most effective to convince the audience that they had specific needs tailored to the topic of the presentation.
Satisfaction
Specific and viable solutions to the problems raised in the previous step are presented to the audience.
Visualization
The solution is then described in such a way that the audience can visualize both the solution and its positive effects in a detailed manner.
Action
The audience is then told how to solve the problem using the solution(s) previously presented.

Benefits[edit]

The advantage of Monroe's motivated sequence is that it emphasizes what the audience can do. Too often the audience feels like a situation is hopeless; Monroe's motivated sequence emphasizes the action the audience can take. It also helps the audience feel like the speaker knows the problem at hand and is listening to them instead of just tuning them out.[6][7][8][9]

With its sequential model, Monroe's motivated sequence engages an audience with a psychologically satisfying speech order. The industries of sales and advertising use Monroe's step-by-step sequence to motivate potential buyers to take action (purchase a product). Monroe's Motivated sequence presents itself as a core model in communication theory because there is otherwise little guidance for presenters in organizing ideas in persuasive speech.[10][11]

The benefit of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Theory is that it focuses on persuasive techniques to reach an intended outcome. It does this by putting an unpleasant image in the audience's head, and then following it with the more appealing option, that aligns with the speaker’s goal. By providing a background in persuasion, Monroe’s theory gives insight into how to gain the audience’s attention and even change current views, thoughts, or ideas. [1]

Research[edit]

Researcher, Tracy Micciche, conducted a study on 21, 23, and 24-year-old college students, with the 22-year-olds being the control group. Participants were told that they would receive better parking for an extra $50.[12] The study used three different versions explaining the $50 for parking.[12] One version used Monroe's motivated sequence.[12] They explained the parking fee in the order of attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and call to action. Other variations used Monroe's motivated sequence in different orders. Micciche found that the explanation using Monroe's motivated sequence's original order was significantly higher for the college students to understand.[12]

A study conducted by Bernadette Peter Lidadun and Nancy Chiuh examined the use of Monroe's motivated sequence.[13] In the study, Lidadun and Chiuh used reading assignments and gave them to a group of aspirants for the Catholic priesthood in a Formation House in Malaysia. The research was conducted with ten participants from February 2019 to June 2019.[13] The research indicates that participants engage more in the five-step approach of Monroe's motivated sequence during extensive reading online.[13] The study also found that refining each step of Monroe's motivated sequence is essential for people using English as a second language.[13]

Seriaznita Mat Said, Ali Salman Hummadi, and Amerrudin Abd Manan conducted research on President Donald Trump's Policy Speech in Jerusalem.[14] Said, Hummadi, and Manan used Monroe's motivated sequence steps to analyze Trump's speech.[14] This study used the five steps of the sequence and found that President Trump was successful in his use of persuasion on four of the five steps of Monroe's motivated sequence.[14] Results indicate that President Trump did not entirely complete the satisfaction step.[14]

Research: Monroe's Motivated Sequence in Non-English Speaking Ads[edit]

A study published in The Journal of Interpersonal Violence showcased Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Theory by designing videos for Asian immigrant women retaining intimate partner violence (IPV). The video was made in four languages; Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese. Participants included Asian women ages 25-45. During the study, participants were shown a video on IPV and how to get help through primary care settings. Results showed nearly three-fourths of participants indicated that they felt the videos would be useful in encouraging IPV victims to disclose. The use of MMS to persuade viewers was found effective in this study, however participants thought the need and visualization appeal could have been stronger. [15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Monroe's Motivated Sequence". Changing Minds.
  2. ^ Crick, Nathan (2017). Rhetorical public speaking : civic engagement in the digital age (3rd ed.). New York, NY. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-138-29277-2. OCLC 979566493.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ Crick, Nathan (2017-06-14), "Pathos", Rhetorical Public Speaking (3 ed.), 3rd edition. | New York, NY : Routledge, 2017.: Routledge, pp. 207–233, doi:10.4324/9781315232522-10, ISBN 978-1-315-23252-2, retrieved 2024-03-02{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. ^ Monroe, Alan (1975). Principles of speech communication (7th brief ed.). Glenview, lll. : Scott, Foresman. ISBN 0673079651.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ a b c "Monroe, Alan Houston, 1903-1975". www.purdue.edu/. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  6. ^ Ehninger, D.; Monroe, A.H.; Gronbeck, B.E. (1978). Principles and Types of Speech Communication (8th ed.). Scott, Foresman. ISBN 9780673151186.
  7. ^ German, K. M.; Gronbeck, B. E.; Ehninger, D.; Monroe, A. H. (2010). Principles of Public Speaking (17th ed.). Old Tappan, NJ: Pearson.
  8. ^ Lucas, S.E. (1995). The Art of Public Speaking (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070390157.
  9. ^ Monroe, A. H. (1943). Monroe's Principles of Speech (military ed.). Chicago: Scott, Foresman.
  10. ^ WOODWARD, GARY C. (2018). PERSUASION AND INFLUENCE IN AMERICAN LIFE (8TH ed.). LONG GROVE: WAVELAND PRESS. ISBN 978-1-4786-3612-0. OCLC 1037296115.
  11. ^ Laskowski, Lenny (2012). Painless presentations : the proven, stress-free way to successful public speaking. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-43146-7. OCLC 809043910.
  12. ^ a b c d Micciche, T.; Pryor, B.; Butler, J. (June 2000). "A test of Monroe's Motivated Sequence for its effects on ratings of message organization and attitude change". Psychological Reports. 86 (3 Pt 2): 1135–1138. doi:10.2466/pr0.2000.86.3c.1135. ISSN 0033-2941. PMID 10932569. S2CID 37178688.
  13. ^ a b c d Peter Lidadun, Bernadette; Chiuh, Nancy (2021), To use or not to use Monroe's sequence for reading? A preliminary study / Bernadette Peter Lidadun and Nancy Chiuh, Abd Halim Mohd Nor, Ismadi Md Badarudin, Nor Hajar Hasrol Jono, Shafinar Ismail, Sumarni Maulan, Ahmad Harith Syah Md Yusuf, Halim Mahpoth, Alor Gajah, Melaka: Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, retrieved 2023-04-14
  14. ^ a b c d Mat Said, Seriaznita; Abd Manan, Amerrudin; Salman Hummadi, Ali (September 2019). "Persuasive Organizational Patterns and Rhetorical Arguments in Donald Trump's Foreign Policy Speech on Jerusalem".
  15. ^ Tavrow, Paula; Azucar, Danny; Huynh, Dan; Yoo, Caroline; Liang, Di; Pathomrit, Wanda; Withers, Mellissa (April 2022). "Encouraging Asian Immigrant Women to Disclose Intimate Partner Violence in Primary Care Settings". Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 37 (7–8): NP5626–NP5648. doi:10.1177/0886260520959642. ISSN 0886-2605.