Elaboration likelihood model

The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) is a theory that explains how people take in and understand information. It says that people use one of two different routes to process and remember information: Central Route or Peripheral Route. The Central Route is the more detailed, "thinking" process and requires you to pay attention to the information and think about it. The Peripheral Route is the easier and less detailed "feeling" process and only requires you to pick up on hints or cues from the information. The ELM states that depending on the situation, people will use one of the two different routes for processing information.