The heuristic-systematic model (HSM) attempts to explain how people receive and process persuasive messages. It comprises of heuristic processing and systematic processing. Heuristic processing uses judgmental rules stored in memory and requires minimal cognitive effort. Systematic processing involves comprehensive analysis of message content and source reliability. The model also explains that motivation and ability determine whether people use heuristic or systematic processing, and that sometimes both can occur simultaneously. A key criticism is that HSM is similar to the elaboration likelihood model, which also discusses dual routes to persuasion.

1. Heuristic-systematic model (HSM)
of Persuasion
Prepared by
Arindam Bhattacharjee
Research Intern at IIM Kozhikode
MBA 1st year, NIT Rourkela

2. Introduction
HSM
Attempts to explain
how people receive
and
process persuasive
messages.
Individuals are more apt
to minimize their use of
cognitive resources thus
affecting the intake and
processing of messages.
Quite similar to
ELM of persuasion.

3. HSM comprises of …
HSM
Heuristic
processing
Systematic
processing

4. Heuristic processing
Uses judgmental rules known as knowledge structures that
are learned and stored in memory.
The heuristic approach offers an economic advantage by
requiring minimal cognitive effort on the part of the
recipient.
Heuristic processing is governed by availability, accessibility,
and applicability.
Due to the use of knowledge structures, heuristic
information processors are likely to agree with messages
delivered by experts, or messages that are endorsed by
others, without fully processing the semantic content of the
message.

5. Heuristic cues must be:
• Available: stored in memory for potential use
• Accessible: activated from memory
• Applicable: related to the receiver’s goals or
objectives

6. Heuristic processing in pharmaceutical ads
• A majority of ads for
pharmaceutical
manufacturers relied
on emotional appeals
to attract consumers

7. Systematic processing
Systematic processing involves comprehensive and analytic,
cognitive processing of judgment-relevant information.
The systematic approach values source reliability and
message content, which may exert stronger impact on
persuasion, when determining message validity.
Judgments developed from systematic processing rely
heavily on in-depth treatment of judgment-relevant
information and respond accordingly to the semantic
content of the message.
Systematic recipients also attempt to assess their validity as
it relates to the message’s conclusion.

8. HSM, continued
• Motivation and ability to process a message are key
determinants in persuasion.
• Sufficiency principle: People don’t want to spend too
much or too little time/effort making a decision.
• HSM allows for the possibility of simultaneous processing
(both systematic and heuristic)
• Example: A thinks B looks really cool and, after doing some
research, he finds that B performed well in CAT exam and has
higher than average reliability.

9. Choosing systematic or heuristic
processing
Both heuristic and systematic processes may occur
independently.
It is also possible for both to occur simultaneously in an
additive fashion or in a way that the judgmental
implications of one process lend a bias nature to the other.
The heuristic-systematic model includes the hypothesis
that attitudes developed or changed by utilizing heuristic
processing alone will likely be less stable, less resistant to
counterarguments, and will be less predictive of
subsequent behavior than attitudes developed or changed
utilizing systematic processing.

10. Conclusion
Key
points
A major criticism of HSM is that the model closely relates
to ELM, which is also a dual-processing model discussing paths
to persuasion. The main similarity between the two models is
that they both discuss two routes of persuasion, which either
examines central or systematic processing in particular.
HSM specifically examines "validity seeking" persuasion
settings concerning people's motivations within the social
environment.
The limitation of HSM exists in the inability to define the
specific motivations of persuasion.

11. THANKS