The positive effects of central route processing continue even after your speech. When audience members seriously evaluate the content of a persuasive message, they form attitudes that are longer lasting and less likely to change in response to future counterarguments. They are also more likely to take action based on those attitudes.6

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Conversely, the effects of the peripheral route are more likely to fade quickly. Furthermore, trying to convince an audience with peripheral factors can raise major ethical concerns. You can probably think of commercials that use celebrities or trendy music to sell their product, rather than offering factual evidence to prove a product’s benefits. These marketing schemes may be successful, but they often miss the ethical mark by relying on fallacious instead of rational appeals. Similarly, if a speaker manages to persuade audience members by playing a catchy song during transitions or by quoting a pop-culture celebrity (who has no expertise on your topic), he or she has not persuaded ethically. This is because the speaker failed to help audience members make a rational decision. (See Chapter 3 for more on ethical standards.)