The purpose of this paper is to introduce a model of the psychological processes that take place when a persuader decides to use or not to use a given persuasive message. The assumption is made that if the perceived emotional impact of a message is more positive than an ethical threshold (which varies from person to person), the persuader will use that message, and that if the perceived impact is less positive than the ethical threshold, the persuader will reject the message. This model is mathematized, and the resulting mathematical model is tested against data gathered by G. Marwell and D.R. Schmitt (1967) and by G. Miller, F. Boster, M. Roloff, and D. Siebold (1977). It is shown that these tests strongly support the empathy model. Tables are provided that present information about the compliance-gaining strategies defined in the prior two studies. (Author/GT)