Tikinimas

Tikinimas is a cognitive and communicative process aimed at influencing another person’s beliefs, attitudes, or actions through structured messages. It is used in marketing, politics, public relations, and everyday interpersonal interactions.

The term derives from the Lithuanian verb tikinti, meaning to persuade or convince. Tikinimas covers both ethical persuasion based on truthful information and manipulative techniques that exploit emotions, biases, or misinformation.

Common techniques include appeals to emotion (pathos), credibility (ethos), and logical argument (logos), as well as social proof, authority appeals, scarcity, repetition, framing, and audience segmentation. Messages may be designed to change attitudes and prompt actions such as buying a product or supporting a cause.

Ethical considerations distinguish respectful persuasion from manipulation. Transparent sponsorship, truthful claims, and avoidance of deception are widely recommended in advertising and journalism. Regulation varies by country and sector, with consumer protection, advertising standards, and electoral law guiding permissible practices.

See also: rhetoric, marketing, public relations, propaganda, behavioral psychology.