Deck 8: Persuasion, Attitudes, and Behavior

Question 1

Prevention focus is:

A) the tendency to have high self-esteem.
B) the tendency to think and act in ways oriented toward avoidance of negative outcomes.
C) the tendency to focus on positive emotions.
D) the tendency to have low self-esteem.

Answer 1

the tendency to think and act in ways oriented toward avoidance of negative outcomes.

Question 2

People who believe they are capable of self-regulation of their behavior are:

A) low in need for cognition.
B) high in need for cognition.
C) high in perceived behavioral control.
D) low in perceived behavioral control.

Answer 2

high in perceived behavioral control.

Question 3

Which of the following theories proposes that self-esteem plays an important role in how people cope with the fear of death?

A) regulatory focus theory
B) balance theory
C) terror management theory
D) elaboration likelihood model

Answer 3

terror management theory

Question 4

If you are conducting a research study and are concerned that participants will not provide honest responses to sensitive questions, you should consider:

A) not doing the study.
B) using a bogus pipeline.
C) only using explicit measures.
D) paying the participants.

Question 5

Jack does not like to think too deeply about anything. Jack is likely low in:

A) self-esteem.
B) promotion focus.
C) prevention focus.
D) the need for cognition.

Question 6

When people want to buy a brand of clothing because their favorite movie star promotes that brand, they are probably:

A) following the central route of persuasion.
B) following the peripheral route of persuasion.
C) experiencing the primacy effect.
D) experiencing the sleeper effect.

Question 7

Age, self-esteem, and education and intelligence are the key determinants of:

A) the primacy effect.
B) the recency effect.
C) persuasibility.
D) need for cognition.

Question 8

Metacognition is:

A) when one has a positive attitude.
B) when one has a negative attitude.
C) when one steps back to think about her or his own thoughts.
D) when one follows the central route of persuasion.

Question 9

Which of the following theories proposes that one's willingness is the best predictor of behavior when the behavior is opportunistic?

A) terror management theory
B) elaboration likelihood model
C) regulatory focus theory
D) prototype/willingness model

Question 10

Louis remembers reading that moderate alcohol consumption is good for your health but he cannot remember the source of that information. Louis may experience the:

A) sleeper effect.
B) primacy effect.
C) recency effect.
D) need for cognition.

Question 11

When self-awareness is high, attitudes:

A) are less likely to predict behavior.
B) are more likely to predict behavior.
C) are irrelevant to behavior.
D) are unconscious.

Question 12

Fear can be persuasive but it:

A) only works for males.
B) has to be accompanied with positive emotions.
C) has to be accompanied with information on how to reduce the threat.
D) only works for people low in need for cognition.

Question 13

Attitudes that people may have but are not consciously aware of are:

A) explicit attitudes.
B) positive attitudes.
C) direct attitudes.
D) implicit attitudes.

Question 14

Which of the following theories proposes that there are two different routes to persuasion?

A) terror management theory
B) regulatory focus theory
C) elaboration likelihood model
D) prototype/willingness model of health behavior

Question 15

Psychological reactance theory proposes that:

A) people value thinking and acting freely.
B) people have a need for cognition.
C) people are more influenced by positive emotions.
D) people are more influenced by central route processing.

Question 16

According to terror management theory, health-promotion behavior is most likely when:

A) death thoughts are in direct conscious awareness.
B) death thoughts are active but outside of conscious awareness.
C) people are in a positive mood.
D) people are afraid.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the three key variables in the theory of planned behavior?

A) subjective norms
B) behavioral attitudes
C) self-esteem
D) perceived behavioral control

Question 18

Which of the following theories proposes that consistency among one's thoughts influences how people form new attitudes?

A) balance theory
B) terror management theory
C) elaboration likelihood model
D) the prototype/willingness model

Question 19

Repeated exposure to a novel stimulus can lead to the:

A) sleeper effect.
B) recency effect.
C) mere exposure effect.
D) primacy effect.

Question 20

Lucia studies hard for her classes because she wants to graduate at the top of her class. Lucia is high in:

A) promotion focus.
B) prevention focus.
C) persuasibility.
D) peripheral route processing.

Question 21

What is the mere exposure effect? How does the mere exposure effect influence the effectiveness of a message?

Question 22

Why does terror management theory propose that the awareness of death can lead people to engage in risky health behavior?

Question 23

What does balance theory propose?

Question 24

Describe the three key determinants of persuasibility and how they influence persuasibility.

Question 25

Describe how central and peripheral route processing influences the persistence of attitudes.

Question 26

What is the prototype/willingness mode of health behavior? How might this information explain whether or not one decides to practice safe sex?

Question 27

How might self-presentation concerns influence the relationship between attitudes and behavior?

Question 28

Describe the two different routes of processing proposed by the elaboration likelihood model.

Question 29

Describe the difference between promotion and prevention focus. Explain how these factors may influence motivation toward the goal of losing weight.

Question 30

John has racist attitudes but knows that his colleagues at work are not racist and would think poorly of him if they knew he was racist. John is concerned about what people at work think about him. Based on this concern, are John's racist attitudes likely to be a good predictor of his behavior?

Question 31

If doctors want to use fear appeals to motivate behavior, what should they do?

Question 32

What is the sleeper effect? How does the sleeper effect influence the long term acceptance of a message?

Question 33

According to terror management theory, when will death awareness motivate efforts to improve health and when will this awareness motivate efforts to improve self-esteem?

Question 34

According to the theory of planned behavior, what factors influence behavioral intentions? Give one example of each.

Question 35

Provide two reasons why attitudes may not predict behaviors.

Question 36

How would you describe someone who is high in need for cognition as opposed to those motivated to make a good impression?

Question 37

When is the primacy effect most likely to occur? How does the primacy effect influence the persuasiveness of a message?

Question 38

How does the need for cognition influence the central routes to persuasion?

Question 39

How does distraction influence persuasion?

Question 40

Describe the findings of the study conducted by Zajonc on the phenomenon known as the mere exposure effect.

Question 41

Carl overheard some people discussing evidence that drinking green tea can prevent cancer. He is initially not persuaded by this information because he is not confident that those people were well-informed. However, several weeks later Carl can no longer remember the source of this information but does remember the idea that green tea consumption may be linked to lower cancer rates. Since Carl forgot the source of the information, he may be vulnerable to the:

A) sleeper effect.
B) mere exposure effect.
C) primacy effect.
D) recency effect.

Question 42

When Lisa was looking to buy a car, she paid careful attention to information regarding gas mileage, safety record, and resale value. She wanted her vehicle purchase to be based on compelling evidence. Lisa's approach to buying a car best illustrates:

A) the peripheral route of persuasion
B) an attitude
C) source credibility
D) the central route of persuasion

Question 43

The __________________________ occurs when people's attitudes are influenced not only by what they think about a message but also by how confident those thoughts feel.

A) primacy effect
B) cognitive response approach to persuasion
C) sleeper effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 44

Which of the following sources would offer the MOST source credibility on national crime statistics?

A) a close friend who reads a lot of newspapers
B) a neighbor who likes to watch police dramas on television
C) a researcher who studies national trends in different types of criminal activity
D) a criminal

Question 45

Bob wants to buy a particular brand of car because he saw a commercial with his favorite actor driving that brand of car. Bob's desire to buy the car he wants can be BEST explained by:

A) the elaboration likelihood model.
B) terror management theory.
C) regulatory fit theory.
D) the theory of planned behavior.

Question 46

The ______________ is the person or group receiving the message.

A) argument
B) audience
C) source
D) attitude

Question 47

A(n) _______________ is the true merits of the person, object, or position being advocated in the message.

A) peripheral cue
B) source
C) argument
D) attitude

Question 48

John is a registered voter but he is not very motivated to vote and does not have a lot of time to think deeply about the arguments each political candidate is making. Which route to persuasion is John MOST likely to follow?

A) central
B) peripheral
C) source
D) cognitive

Question 49

Attitudes that are changed by ______________________ are more durable and resistant to other influences than attitudes that are changed by ________________________.

A) arguments; motivation
B) distractions; motivation
C) central-route processing; peripheral-route processing
D) peripheral-route processing; central-route processing

Question 50

The _________________ is the person or group communicating the message.

A) argument
B) audience
C) source
D) attitude

Question 51

After watching a political debate, Jada decides she supports the candidate who spoke first. Jada's candidate preference may have been influenced by the:

A) sleeper effect.
B) primacy effect.
C) recency effect.
D) peripheral route of persuasion.

Question 52

The degree to which the audience perceives a message's source as expert and trustworthy is:

A) source credibility.
B) the sleeper effect.
C) the primacy effect.
D) the recency effect.

Question 53

The elaboration likelihood model is a theory of:

A) emotion.
B) persuasion.
C) culture.
D) implicit attitudes.

Question 54

According to the elaboration likelihood model, there are ___________ different routes of persuasion.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 55

The ___________________ is the phenomenon whereby people can remember a message but forgot where it came from.

A) recency effect
B) primacy effect
C) mere exposure effect
D) sleeper effect

Question 56

The ____________________ is most likely when people learn about the credibility of the source after they have been exposed to the arguments.

A) primacy effect
B) sleeper effect
C) recency effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 57

Which of the following sources of medical information would NOT represent a high level of source credibility?

A) a medical journal reporting the results of a recent clinical trial
B) your primary care physician (medical doctor)
C) a medical blog written by a person with no formal medical training
D) a report from a federal health agency such as the Centers for Disease Control

Question 58

According to the elaboration likelihood model, the key factors that influence the route of persuasion that people follow are _____________ and ____________________.

A) the individual's motivation; ability to think deeply about the message
B) the individual's motivation; the argument
C) the type of persuasion cue; the source
D) ability to think deeply about the message; the argument

Question 59

The process that involves stepping back and thinking about one's own thoughts is:

A) attitude formation.
B) persuasion.
C) metacognition.
D) priming.

Question 60

The ____________________ occurs when initially encountered information primarily influences attitudes.

A) primacy effect
B) sleeper effect
C) recency effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 61

Zajonc (1968) observed that participants rated Chinese characters as more aesthetically pleasing the more they were exposed to the characters. This observation provided support for the _______________.

A) primacy effect
B) recency effect
C) sleeper effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 62

According to terror management theory, people are most likely to focus on protecting their self-image when:

A) death thoughts are in direct conscious awareness.
B) death thoughts are active but outside of conscious awareness.
C) they are in a positive mood.
D) they are afraid.

Question 63

According to ________________, consistency among one's thoughts influences how one forms new attitudes.

A) the cognitive approach to persuasion
B) the primacy effect
C) the sleeper effect
D) balance theory

Question 64

Research suggests that the ________________ might be strongest when the stimulus is presented outside of conscious awareness.

A) sleeper effect
B) mere exposure effect
C) primacy effect
D) recency effect

Question 65

Taylor did not have strong opinions about classical music the first time she heard it but the more she listened to it, the more she liked it. Taylor's attitude about classic music may have been influenced by the _______________________.

A) mere exposure effect
B) primacy effect
C) recency effect
D) peripheral route of persuasion

Question 66

Research indicates that the fear of death often motivates people to bolster their standing on characteristics that are important to their:

A) self-esteem.
B) mood.
C) short-term goals.
D) financial success.

Question 67

If a research team wants to assess the effect of positive mood on how persuaded people are by messages, they should experimentally manipulate:

A) the credibility of the source of the information.
B) mood.
C) the amount of time people are exposed to the information.
D) the number of times people are exposed to the information.

Question 68

The ___________________ does not hold for initially disliked stimuli.

A) mere exposure effect
B) sleeper effect
C) primacy effect
D) recency effect

Question 69

According to terror management theory, whether people focus on their health or their self-image depends on:

A) their mood.
B) their need for cognition.
C) whether death thoughts are inside or outside conscious awareness.
D) whether they consider themselves to be healthy.

Question 70

According to terror management theory, people are most likely to focus on protecting their health when:

A) death thoughts are in direct conscious awareness.
B) death thoughts are active but outside of conscious awareness.
C) they are in a positive mood.
D) they are afraid.

Question 71

Research indicates that fear can persuade people if:

A) the individual is motivated to reduce the fear.
B) people can distract themselves from the fear.
C) the emotion is accompanied by detailed information on how to reduce the threat.
D) the individual feels threatened.

Question 72

The ___________________ occurs when people hold a positive attitude toward a stimulus simply because they have been exposed to it repeatedly.

A) primacy effect
B) recency effect
C) sleeper effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 73

The __________________ is likely to occur if there is a long delay separating two messages and the audience makes up its mind immediately after the second message.

A) recency effect
B) sleeper effect
C) primacy effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 74

The _______________ is likely to occur if there is no delay separating two messages and if there is a considerable delay between the end of the second message and the audience's response.

A) recency effect
B) sleeper effect
C) primacy effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 75

After watching a political debate, William decides he supports the candidate who spoke last. William's candidate preference may have been influenced by the:

A) sleeper effect.
B) primacy effect.
C) recency effect.
D) peripheral route of persuasion.

Question 76

The _____________ occurs when recently encountered information primarily influences attitudes.

A) primacy effect
B) sleeper effect
C) recency effect
D) mere exposure effect

Question 77

According to balance theory, _________________ influences how one forms new attitudes.

A) inconsistency among one's thoughts
B) consistency among one's thoughts
C) the positivity of one's thoughts
D) the negativity of one's thoughts

Question 78

Jen derives self-esteem from her physical attractiveness. When people tell her that sun-tanning can lead to cancer and ultimately death, surprisingly, she becomes more motivated to sun tan. Which theory best explains Jen's response?

A) regulatory focus theory
B) balance theory
C) terror management theory
D) elaboration likelihood model

Question 79

How does positive mood generally influence the persuasiveness of a message?

A) A positive mood makes one more inclined to agree with a message.
B) A positive mood makes one less inclined to agree with a message.
C) A positive mood has no significant effect on persuasion.
D) The effect of a positive mood on persuasion is unknown because of a lack of research on this topic.

Question 80

Which of the following theories suggests that self-esteem plays a major role in how people respond to health threats?

A) balance theory
B) need for cognition theory
C) regulatory focus theory
D) terror management theory