This chapter describes the “triple appeal principle”, which was introduced by Harold D. Lasswell as the nexus between psychoanalytic concepts and the communication of compelling appeals. Id appeals may be directed to broaden identifications, including intergenerational commitments, but the dynamics are quite different. Furthermore, the challenge for the ego appeal is to counter the emotional appeals of the proposals. The existence of three different bases for appeals would appear to imply an obvious strategy of emphasizing them all. In many circumstances, the triple appeal of evoking id, ego,...

This chapter describes the “triple appeal principle”, which was introduced by Harold D. Lasswell as the nexus between psychoanalytic concepts and the communication of compelling appeals. Id appeals may be directed to broaden identifications, including intergenerational commitments, but the dynamics are quite different. Furthermore, the challenge for the ego appeal is to counter the emotional appeals of the proposals. The existence of three different bases for appeals would appear to imply an obvious strategy of emphasizing them all. In many circumstances, the triple appeal of evoking id, ego, and superego would gain the strongest support for the cause. There are also three considerations that challenge the wisdom of using the triple appeal in other circumstances.