Deck 8: Persuasion

Question 1

Joanna does not think carefully and deliberately about what a politician says during a debate.Instead, she attends to the politician's winning smile and boyish good looks.Thus, Joanna is taking the ____________ route to persuasion.

A) peripheral
B) central
C) systematic
D) surface

Answer 1

peripheral

Question 2

Imagine that you have to convince an audience to adopt your opinion on health-care reform, but the specific arguments you present are weak.According to research on attitude change, what should you do to increase your chances of being persuasive?

A) Repeat the arguments so that the audience will remember them.
B) Come across as a genuinely likeable person.
C) Ensure that people are paying close attention to what you are saying.
D) Emphasize how health-care reform is highly relevant to everyone in the audience.

Answer 2

Come across as a genuinely likeable person.

Question 3

Imagine you are a participant in Leventhal and his colleagues' study.Recall that participants (a)watched a scary film about lung cancer; (b)read a pamphlet of suggestions for how to quit smoking; or (c)watched the scary film and read the pamphlet.According to the results of the study

A) you would be most likely to quit smoking if you were in condition (a).
B) you would be equally likely to quit smoking if you were in condition (a)or condition (b).
C) you would be least likely to quit smoking if you were in condition (b).
D) you would be most likely to quit smoking if you were in condition (b).

Answer 3

you would be least likely to quit smoking if you were in condition (b).

Question 4

According to the textbook, which of the following message recipients does NOT display a characteristic that will make him or her significantly more or less susceptible to persuasion?

A) Jackie, a woman high in need of cognition
B) Lenny, a Latino man
C) Paula, a 65-year-old woman
D) Nick, an unhappy man

Question 5

According to the textbook, Adolf Hitler's rise to power is a historical example of how ____________ affect(s)____________.

A) stirring up emotions; persuasion.
B) strong arguments; the central processing of messages.
C) weak arguments; the peripheral processing of messages.
D) a person's credibility; attitude accessibility.

Question 6

Andy, an advertising executive, wants to use subliminal advertising to encourage people to buy his product.According to the research reviewed in the textbook, what effect will the use of subliminal advertising have on product sales?

A) Sales will double.
B) Sales will not be affected.
C) Sales will drop by 33 percent.
D) Sales will triple.

Question 7

From birth, we show taste preferences for sweet foods, and we avoid bitter foods.This food preference is an example of the _____________ function of attitudes.

A) ego-defensive
B) value-expressive
C) utilitarian
D) knowledge

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a function of attitudes?

A) utilitarian
B) ego defensive
C) value expressive
D) thought polarization

Question 9

Jost and colleagues argue that political conservatism is a form of motivated cognition that helps people ward off anxieties about change.Which attitude function does this represent?

A) ego-defensive
B) value-expressive
C) utilitarian
D) knowledge

Question 10

Recall that Hamill, Wilson, and Nisbett conducted a study on factors that influence attitudes.The researchers first assessed each participant's attitude toward welfare.In one condition, participants read a vivid story about a woman who exploited the welfare system and "lived like a queen" at taxpayers' expense.In another condition, participants were given statistical information about welfare.In a third condition, participants were given both types of information (i.e., the vivid story and the statistical information).Finally, each participant's attitude toward welfare was measured a second time.Results showed that

A) participants' attitudes were not influenced by the conditions in the study.
B) participants were equally likely to change their attitudes in response to the vivid story and the statistics.
C) participants were more likely to change their attitudes in response to the vivid story.
D) participants were less likely to change their attitudes in response to the vivid story.

Question 11

Recall that Newcomb examined whether students' political attitudes would change or stay the same as they progressed through four years at Bennington College.Which of the following results emerged from his investigation?

A) Despite growing up in predominantly Republican families, students in their first year at college were much more likely to prefer a Democratic or radical left-wing presidential candidate.
B) Despite growing up in predominantly Democratic families, students in their first year at college were much more likely to prefer a Republican presidential candidate.
C) Despite growing up in predominantly Republican families, students in their fourth year were much more likely to prefer a Democratic or radical left-wing presidential candidate.
D) Despite growing up in predominantly Democratic families, students in their fourth year were much more likely to prefer a Republican presidential candidate.

Question 12

Imagine your local campus police needs help solving a crime.They have two witnesses whose accounts of the event are inconsistent and suggest that one of them is lying.According to the textbook, whom should the local police call on to assist them in detecting the liar?

A) a local attorney
B) they will not need help-most people are good at detecting lies
C) a Secret Service agent
D) one of the clinical psychology professors on campus

Question 13

According to the textbook, ____________ are generally more susceptible to persuasive messages than ____________.

A) the elderly; children.
B) children; the elderly.
C) depressed people; nondepressed people.
D) nondepressed people; depressed people.

Question 14

Sebastian is high in need of cognition.This means he likes to

A) criticize others' perspectives.
B) experience cognitive dissonance.
C) think deeply about issues.
D) experience strong mood states.

Question 15

The knowledge function of attitudes often leads us to ____________ information that ____________ our preexisting attitudes.

A) selectively attend to; contradicts
B) seek out; bolsters
C) forget; bolsters
D) remember; contradicts

Question 16

As you drive in to school, you hear a random radio-show caller arguing that sun exposure really has not been shown to cause skin cancer, and that some research suggests that skin cancer is completely genetic and not related to sun exposure at all.At the time, you think that this is a silly argument and that the caller doesn't know what she is talking about.However, two months later, you are outside without wearing sunscreen, and you find yourself remembering that you had read something about how the sun actually doesn't cause skin cancer.This process is evidence that the ________________ has influenced your attitude.

A) the peripheral route to persuasion
B) the sleeper effect
C) the central route to persuasion
D) the utilitarian function of attitudes

Question 17

Recall that Petty, Cacioppo, and Goldman conducted a study on persuasion.Students were led to believe that a comprehensive exam might be implemented at their university.They were asked to read either eight weak arguments in support of the exam or eight strong arguments.In addition, some students were told that the exam would be initiated in the following year or in ten years, well after the students' graduation (presumably!).Finally, the researchers varied the expertise of the source of the arguments-that is, participants were told the arguments were generated by a local high school class or by a prestigious "Commission on Higher Education." The researchers measured students' attitudes toward the exam.In the end, what was the main result of this study?

A) When students believed the exam would be implemented in ten years, the expertise of the source influenced their attitudes, but the quality of the arguments did not.
B) When students believed the exam would be implemented in the following year, the expertise of the source influenced their attitudes, but the quality of the arguments did not.
C) When students believed the exam would be implemented in ten years, the quality of the arguments influenced their attitudes, but the expertise of the source did not.
D) When students believed the exam would be implemented in the following year, both the expertise of the source and the quality of the arguments equally influenced their attitudes.

Question 18

____________ attitudes alert us to rewarding or costly situations.

A) Ego-defensive
B) Value-expressive
C) Utilitarian
D) Knowledge

Question 19

____________ attitudes protect us from being aware of unpleasant facts.

A) Ego-defensive
B) Value-expressive
C) Utilitarian
D) Knowledge

Question 20

Nancy is trying to decide which car to buy.According to Petty and Cacioppo's elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, Nancy will be more likely to process information on the cars she researches through the central route

A) if the information is associated with a pleasant stimulus.
B) once she has memorized the information.
C) when she does not care about the issue.
D) when she has the motivation and ability to do so.

Question 21

According to the textbook, the effects of standard mass-communication efforts on attitudes and behaviors are not always as strong as you might imagine.This proposition is bolstered by all of the following research findings EXCEPT

A) research showing that the correlation between the ad budget of a product and its market share is weak.
B) research showing no significant correlation between the amount a candidate spends on an election and success in the election.
C) research showing that the D.A.R.E.program did not decrease drug use.
D) research showing that adolescents cannot be taught strategies for turning away requests for unprotected sex.

Question 22

Michelle watches a lot of television, especially crime dramas.According to Iyengar's concept of agenda control,

A) the media directly influence Michelle's moment-by-moment behavior.
B) the media shape what Michelle thinks about, cares about, and believes to be true.
C) the government controls Michelle's purchasing patterns.
D) the government manipulates Michelle's social beliefs.

Question 23

Bob wants to persuade his coworkers to adopt his product plan and has many high-quality arguments detailing why his plan is sound.Which of the following should NOT be an attribute of his persuasive message?

A) referring to desirable yet novel consequences of acting on the message
B) appealing to core values held by his coworkers
C) using complex scientific language and jargon
D) counterarguing against the opposition

Question 24

Jason conducted an experiment in which participants were shown (a)three news stories dealing with the U.S.national deficit; (b)six news stories dealing with the U.S.national deficit; or (c)no news stories dealing with the U.S.national deficit.According to research on agenda control, Jason expects that

A) participants who read six news stories dealing with the deficit should be least likely to cite the deficit as one of the most important problems facing the country.
B) participants who read six news stories dealing with the deficit should be most likely to cite the deficit as one of the most important problems facing the country.
C) participants who read three news stories dealing with the deficit should be most likely to cite the deficit as one of the most important problems facing the country.
D) participants who read no news stories dealing with the deficit should be most likely to cite the deficit as one of the most important problems facing the country.

Question 25

Which of the following statements concerning the effects of media on attitudes or behaviors is accurate?

A) Political ads influence mainly earlier-deciding voters.
B) Advertisements rarely influence product loyalty.
C) Most studies document no significant correlation between the amount a political candidate spends on an election and his or her success in the election.
D) There is a strong correlation between the advertising budget of a product and its market share.

Question 26

You are asked to design an antismoking pamphlet.You decide to put a frightening photograph of a lung-cancer victim on the cover.But what else should you do? According to Leventhal and his colleagues' research, you can increase your chances of decreasing others' smoking if you also provide

A) examples of famous people who died of cancer.
B) suggestions for how to quit smoking.
C) illness and mortality statistics.
D) testimonials about how easy it is to give up cigarettes.

Question 27

The sleeper effect occurs in situations in which messages from ____________ sources shift attitudes ____________.

A) unreliable; immediately.
B) reliable; immediately.
C) unreliable; after a delay.
D) reliable; after a delay.

Question 28

Jamie is the sort of person who likes to think, puzzle, ponder, and consider multiple perspectives.Compared with people who do not like these activities, Jamie is

A) more likely to be influenced by the tangential aspects of a persuasive communication.
B) equally likely to be influenced by the tangential aspects of a persuasive communication.
C) less likely to be influenced by the tangential aspects of a persuasive communication.
D) less likely to be influenced by the quality of the arguments used in a persuasive communication.

Question 29

Gerbner and his colleagues studied whether the media (e.g., prime-time television programming)shape a person's conception of social reality.They found that

A) people who watched a lot of television underestimated (1)the proportion of U.S.citizens who have high-paying, white-collar jobs; and (2)the prevalence of criminal activity.
B) people who watched a lot of television were less likely to exhibit the third-person effect.
C) people who watched a lot of television overestimated (1)the proportion of U.S.citizens who have high-paying, white-collar jobs; and (2)the prevalence of criminal activity.
D) people who did not watch television had no opinions about how people are employed or how often crimes occur.

Question 30

____________ exemplifies a message characteristic, whereas ____________ exemplifies a source characteristic.

A) The credibility of a communicator; the attractiveness of a communicator
B) An illogical argument; the content of a speech
C) The content of a speech; the credibility of a communicator
D) The credibility of a communicator; an illogical argument

Question 31

Samantha wants to persuade her roommate Jane to allow her to get a pet dog.According to research on mood and persuasion, when should Samantha approach Jane if she wants to find her roommate to be most likely to be persuaded?

A) when Jane is eating
B) when Jane is listening to beautiful music
C) when Jane is smelling perfume
D) Both a and b are correct.

Question 32

Imagine you spend an afternoon watching television and notice that all of the commercials have one common theme: a famous athlete or actor endorsing a product.Why do advertisers hire celebrities to endorse their products?

A) Attractive people are liked better than unattractive people, but attractive people are not more persuasive.
B) Attractive people are less susceptible to others' attempts to persuade them.
C) Attractive people are seen as less credible than unattractive people.
D) Attractive people are used to persuade people, particularly those who do not care or know much about the topic at hand.

Question 33

People are inclined to attend selectively to

A) information that supports their original attitudes.
B) information that refutes their original attitudes.
C) simple arguments.
D) complex arguments.

Question 34

Research on the hostile media phenomenon has shown that

A) politicians are more likely than other people to perceive the media as biased against them.
B) we all tend to believe that the media are biased against our particular causes.
C) we remember negative news stories better than positive news stories.
D) the media are biased against politicians.

Question 35

Which of the following scenarios illustrates the research on message-receiver characteristics and persuasion?

A) When Tommy feels sad, he is more likely to attend to pessimistic messages than to optimistic messages.
B) When Tommy feels sad, he is more likely to attend to optimistic messages than to pessimistic messages.
C) Tommy is less likely to obey authority when he feels sad than when he feels proud.
D) Tommy is more likely to obey authority when he feels sad than when he feels proud.

Question 36

Roger thinks that his neighbors are more susceptible to influence from television commercials than he is.This phenomenon has been called the

A) first-person effect.
B) third-person effect.
C) media-influence effect.
D) sleeper effect.

Question 37

Consider the following quote from the writings of Joseph Stalin: "The death of a single Russian soldier is a tragedy.The death of a million soldiers is a statistic." This quote illustrates the idea behind the

A) vivid image effect.
B) abstract statistic effect.
C) "Baby Jessica" effect.
D) identifiable victim effect.

Question 38

Recall that Carl Hovland and his colleagues broke down the persuasive message into three components.Which of the following questions emphasizes the component called source characteristics?

A) Are people more likely to take a trip to Florida if they are in college?
B) Are people more likely to buy a car if they know how its engine works?
C) Are people more likely to buy a cleaning product if they are in a good mood?
D) Are people more likely to buy a brand of aspirin that is recommended by the American Medical Association?

Question 39

Stacie listened to a radio commercial for toothpaste.She found the soothing voice of the announcer appealing, so she bought the toothpaste he advocated.This illustrates the research finding that when people primarily attend to aspects of a message that are tangential to the substance of the message, they are taking the ______________________ route to persuasion.

A) central
B) distinct
C) peripheral
D) indirect

Question 40

Which of the following advertising strategies best illustrates an attempt to persuade people through the central route?

A) An announcer gives several reasons that SoSoft moisturizing lotion is effective.
B) An attractive woman is shown using SoSoft in a luxurious bathtub.
C) An announcer states that "everyone" is using SoSoft moisturizing lotion.
D) A soap opera actor claims he loves SoSoft.

Question 41

Ariana had a great day and is really happy.Therefore, she will be more susceptible to persuasion.

Question 42

Recall that Ziva Kunda conducted research on selective evaluation and resistance to persuasion.She asked male and female participants to read a newspaper article about how caffeine consumption by females is associated with increased risk of fibrocystic disease.Kunda's results showed that

A) high-caffeine-using males were most critical of the article.
B) high-caffeine-using females were most critical of the article.
C) males-irrespective of caffeine use-were most critical of the article.
D) low- and high-caffeine-using females were equally critical of the article.

Question 43

Tina, a longtime Democrat, is trying to decide how to vote in the upcoming mayoral election.She has researched the candidates and has discovered that the Democratic candidate has many strengths but also many weaknesses.According to the textbook, how will Tina react to the mixed evidence?

A) Tina will become even more firmly entrenched in her attitude.
B) Tina will become less firmly entrenched in her attitude.
C) Tina will become confused and stop caring about the election altogether.
D) Tina will become angry and avoid sources of mixed evidence in the future.

Question 44

Bill views himself as a Democrat.He is watching a television broadcast of a debate between two congressmen.One of them is a Republican, and the other is a Democrat.His roommate starts to vacuum the apartment.Bill asks his roommate to shut off the vacuum only when the Democrat is speaking.This scenario illustrates ____________ in action.

A) peripheral processing
B) attitude inoculation
C) an attentional bias
D) attitude reactance

Question 45

According to the textbook, both consumer and political advertising have surprisingly strong effects on people's behavior.

Question 46

When people make public statements regarding their attitudes, they are _____________ to resist later counterattitudinal messages.

A) more likely
B) less likely
C) unlikely
D) unable

Question 47

If you want to ____________, you should rely on attitude inoculation.

A) increase the effect of emotion on persuasion
B) decrease selective attention
C) increase your resistance to attitude change
D) polarize your beliefs

Question 48

Paul is trying to decide whether he liked the last movie he saw.After thinking it over, he decides he did like it.According to the process of thought polarization, how will Paul feel after he continues to think more about the film?

A) Paul's attitude toward the film will get more extreme after he thinks about it.
B) Paul's attitude toward the film will get weaker after he thinks about it.
C) Paul will become unmotivated to form an attitude about the film.
D) Paul will become motivated to change his attitude about the film.

Question 49

According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model, increases in motivation and ability should increase reliance on the central route of persuasion.

Question 50

Culture has not been shown to influence the content or the effectiveness of advertising.

Question 51

When an argument is inconsistent with a person's original attitude, it is more likely to capture his or her attention.

Question 52

Some residents in your town want to build a new elementary school, but others do not.You are leaning toward the pro-school camp.One day, you receive a flyer from this camp.It warns you that the anti-school camp is going to hold a demonstration at a local park.The flyer briefly summarizes how the anti-school camp will attack the pro-school position.Further, the flyer asks you to think about how you can refute the attack before the demonstration occurs.The pro-school camp's strategy is an example of ____________.So it should ____________ your resistance to stronger, more detailed attacks if you end up attending the demonstration.

A) attitude inoculation; decrease
B) attitude inoculation; increase
C) thought polarization; increase
D) thought polarization; decrease

Question 53

Small attacks on our beliefs make us more resistant to larger persuasion attempts.

Question 54

Attitudes do not protect us from being aware of unpleasant facts about the world or about ourselves.

Question 55

Counterarguing can make people more resistant to persuasion attempts.

Question 56

People with prior knowledge of a subject are __________ to scrutinize messages about that subject closely and _______________ to change their attitude about that subject, compared with people with no prior knowledge.

A) less likely; less likely
B) less likely; more likely
C) more likely; more likely
D) more likely; less likely

Question 57

The process by which small attacks on our beliefs help counteract larger attacks on our beliefs is called

A) forewarning.
B) thought polarization.
C) habituation.
D) inoculation.

Question 58

Any level of fear (low, medium, high)will enhance the effectiveness of a persuasion attempt.

Question 59

According to the textbook, all of the following people are likely to resist persuasive attempts to adopt a preference for a different brand of soap EXCEPT

A) Shelly, who selectively attends to any persuasive attempts concerning a change in her brand of soap.
B) Jack, who does not have a vested interest in any particular brand of soap.
C) Kelly, who has previously made public commitments to her favorite brand of soap.
D) Sam, who is knowledgeable on the subject of soap.

Question 60

Attitudes lead us to seek out and attend selectively to information that bolsters our preexisting attitudes.