According to the elaboration likelihood model, audiences will use the _____ route when they are paying close attention to the value of the message.

• A. automatic
• B. emotional
• C. peripheral
• D. central

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), which explains how people process persuasive messages through two main routes: the central route and the peripheral route.
2. Recognize that the central route involves careful and thoughtful consideration of the true merits of the information presented, focusing on the quality and strength of the arguments.
3. Identify that when audiences are paying close attention to the value of the message, they engage in deep processing, which corresponds to the central route.
4. Contrast this with the peripheral route, where people rely on superficial cues like emotions or the attractiveness of the source rather than the message content itself.
5. Conclude that the correct term to fill in the blank is 'central' because it best describes the route used when the audience is actively evaluating the message's value.