Overview Can anyone be a hero? According to Elizabeth Svaboda, the author of the book What Makes a Hero?, the answer to that question is yes. When writing this book in a persuasive manner, Svaboda tries to get the world to see that everyone has the tools to free their inner hero. Presenting research in neuroscience and biology she proves that the human brain is primed for selflessness. Producing altruistic and heroic behavior is not something that happens overnight. Rather, something that one must work at continuously. Along with considering the factors that influence altruistic behavior such as our mental build up, our environment and relationships, and how they all can affect whether we behave altruistically. I believe Svaboda wrote this book to open the eyes of average, every day people, to get them to see that they can make a difference. Being a hero doesn’t mean you have to be big and strong and save someone in danger. It can be something as…show more content… Elaboration refers to the extent to which an individual thinks about or mentally modifies arguments contained in the communication. Likelihood refers to the probability that an event will occur, which is used to point out that elaboration can be either likely or unlikely. When applying the elaboration likelihood model, there are two approaches to the way people process persuasive communications. The central route refers to when people evaluate message arguments carefully, question the communicator’s ideas, and relate that information to their own personal beliefs and values. The peripheral route refers to when people examine the message quickly and focus on simple cues such as the physical appeal of the speaker or the speaking style, to help them make their decision on whether or not to accept the position advocated in the message (Perloff
