Which term describes the path of attitude change influenced by incidental cues, such as speaker attractiveness?

The term that describes the path of attitude change influenced by incidental cues, such as speaker attractiveness, is indeed the peripheral route to persuasion. This concept comes from the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which outlines two distinct routes through which persuasion can occur: the central route and the peripheral route.

The peripheral route to persuasion occurs when individuals focus on superficial and external cues rather than the quality of the arguments being presented. For instance, if a speaker is physically attractive or has an engaging presence, an audience may be more likely to be swayed by those characteristics rather than the content of the message itself. This route relies on the impact of heuristics rather than careful deliberation, meaning that people may change their attitudes based on persuasive cues rather than a logical evaluation of information.

In contrast, the central route to persuasion involves a more thoughtful and analytical approach, where individuals engage with the content of the arguments presented and are persuaded based on the strength of those arguments. Emotional appeal and logical reasoning can play roles in both routes, but they are more associated with the central route, where the focus is on the message's substance rather than on incidental cues.