Deck 5: Persuasion

Question 1

An automobile manufacturer who produces advertisements associating its cars with a young, attractive family enjoying picnics is most clearly using

A) central route persuasion.
B) peripheral route persuasion.
C) two-step flow of communication.
D) social implosion.

Answer 1

peripheral route persuasion.

Question 2

Which of the following is a characteristic of central route persuasion?

A) It uses systematic arguments.
B) It relies heavily on the communicator's attractiveness.
C) It employs rule-of-thumb heuristics to persuade.
D) Its effectiveness depends on a two-step flow of communication.

Answer 2

It uses systematic arguments.

Question 3

According to the text, persuasion efforts to change Canadian's attitudes toward _____ have been successful.

A) seat belts wearing
B) teenage pregnancies
C) war
D) smoking

Answer 3

smoking

Question 4

People who are motivated and able to think through an issue are best persuaded by

A) central route processing.
B) peripheral route processing.
C) heuristic route processing.
D) the elaboration likelihood model.

Question 5

___________________ occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues.

A) The central route to persuasion
B) The peripheral route to persuasion
C) The fundamental route to persuasion
D) None of these choices

Question 6

We know that an attractive source makes you pay more attention to the message and the message is subsequently more persuasive. This fact provides us with a good understanding of ______ persuasion is likely to occur.

A) when
B) where
C) why
D) how much

Question 7

Persuasive messages in the media are often be filtered in a top-down fashion, meaning that

A) the dissemination of information and ideas is controlled by others, so you hear when they want you to hear.
B) our cognitions about persuasion involve large principles to small specific examples.
C) information is presented through two paths to persuasion, from the top to bottom levels.
D) the information you hear in the media has been reviewed by others to assure that the ideas presented are accurate depictions of the truth.

Question 8

Smart advertisers adapt ads to their consumers' thinking, and the consumers respond with favourable thoughts. This process is referred to as

A) the central route to persuasion.
B) the peripheral route to persuasion.
C) automatic persuasion.
D) the heuristic route to persuasion.

Question 9

Petty, Cacioppo, and colleagues theorized that persuasion is likely to occur via two routes:

A) central and peripheral.
B) persuasion and conformity.
C) normative and informative.
D) none of these choices.

Question 10

A representative from "Mothers Against Drunk Driving" is visiting a high school to give a presentation about the dangers of drinking and driving. What would be her best strategy to persuade the students to avoid driving while drunk?

A) Get the students to think deeply and seriously about the issue
B) Give an entertaining presentation, with the real message disguised by an enjoyable format
C) Bring in a glamorous spokesperson to appeal to the students
D) Use simple and familiar language

Question 11

High effort is to ___________ as low effort is to ___________.

A) central; peripheral
B) peripheral; central
C) heuristics; incidental cues
D) persuasion; conformity

Question 12

According to the text, which of the following is one of the hurdles a persuasive message must clear in order to change attitudes and behavioural intentions?

A) Is the message comprehended?
B) Is the message believed?
C) Is the message remembered?
D) All of these choices

Question 13

According to Hovland and his colleagues, any factor that helps people clear hurdles in the persuasion process

A) increases the likelihood of persuasion.
B) decreases the likelihood of persuasion.
C) does not have any effect on the likelihood of persuasion.
D) sometimes increase and sometimes decrease the likelihood of persuasion.

Question 14

According to the text, persuasion in everyday life is

A) diabolical.
B) inevitable.
C) avoidable.
D) none of these choices.

Question 15

Which of the following is a hurdle that must be cleared before a message is likely to persuade?

A) Attention
B) Peripheral processing
C) Central processing
D) All of these choices

Question 16

If an ____________ source makes it more likely that you will pay attention to a message, then the message should have a greater chance of ___________ you.

A) unattractive; persuading
B) unattractive; confusing
C) attractive; confusing
D) attractive; persuading

Question 17

Good persuasion is called ____________; bad persuasion is called _____________.

A) the illusion of invulnerability; the availability heuristic
B) education; propaganda
C) the vivid appeal; emotion-arousing appeal
D) propaganda; education

Question 18

When people are thinking carefully, they rely not just on the strength of persuasive appeals but on _____________ as well.

A) their own thoughts in response.
B) what their friends think.
C) the attractiveness of the speaker.
D) the number of arguments.

Question 19

Persuasion that occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness, is referred to as ____________ route persuasion.

A) central
B) peripheral
C) subconscious
D) emotional

Question 20

According to the text, the factor that determines whether we call attempts at persuasion "education" or "propaganda" is whether

A) we believe them or not.
B) we know the communicator or not.
C) the message is rational or emotional in tone.
D) the message is one-sided or two-sided.

Question 21

Whose argument has the best chance of convincing you to choose Cuba over Mexico for a vacation?

A) Mathilde, who was born in Cuba and thinks you should go to Cuba.
B) Jeri, who vacations in Cuba every year and thinks you should go to Cuba.
C) Nola, who was born in Mexico and thinks you should go to Cuba.
D) Zoe, who has vacationed in both Mexico and Cuba, and thinks you should go to Cuba.

Question 22

Why might a Canadian male hockey fan respond differently to a message about hockey depending on whether the message comes from a female sportswriter or from Don Cherry?

A) Don Cherry is more attractive to the hockey fan than the female sportswriter.
B) Don Cherry is more trustworthy to the hockey fan than the female sportswriter.
C) Don Cherry is more similar to the hockey fan than the female sportswriter.
D) All of these choices.

Question 23

An opposition Member of Parliament argues that the government should be more aggressive in its campaign to get citizens to stop smoking. He will appear more credible and persuasive if he

A) represents a riding dependent on tobacco farming.
B) is a former employee of the Canadian Cancer Society.
C) has once been a lobbyist for the television industry.
D) represents a riding where most people believe it is wrong to smoke.

Question 24

For people who think carefully about issues, persuasion

A) depends on the strength or cogency of the arguments.
B) depends on their own cognitive responses to the persuasive appeal.
C) does not depend much on the expertise of the source of the persuasive appeal.
D) all of these choices.

Question 25

Over time the impact of a message from a noncredible source may _____________, a phenomenon known as the ______________.

A) decrease; sleeper effect
B) increase; sleeper effect
C) decrease; status effect
D) increase; status effect

Question 26

Your physician tells you to get more exercise. The same day, on a late-night infomercial, your brother watches a washed-up celebrity tell the public they need to get more exercise. According to research on the sleeper effect, who is more likely to be thinking about buying a gym membership about a month later?

A) You are
B) Your brother is
C) Neither you nor your brother
D) Both you and your brother

Question 27

Attitude change that has followed the central route is more likely to

A) persist.
B) resist attack.
C) influence behaviour.
D) all of these choices.

Question 28

Computer ads are most likely to

A) employ Hollywood stars to appear in their commercials.
B) offer customer information on competitive features and prices.
C) use visual images more frequently.
D) employ great athletes to appear in their commercials.

Question 29

A citizens' group that favours strict restriction of gun sales is preparing a communication to present to various community groups. If they want their message to seem most credible and sincere, which member of their group should present it?

A) Smitty, who owns a local sports store and sells guns
B) Betty, an x-ray technician who works at the local hospital
C) Jacob. whose son was killed by an accidental gunshot
D) Maurice, a psychologist and expert on human aggression

Question 30

If a message is clear and easy to comprehend but is full of unconvincing arguments, you will

A) not be easily able to counterargue and the message will be more persuasive.
B) be easily able to counterargue and the message will be less persuasive.
C) be easily able to counterargue and the message and will be more persuasive.
D) not be easily able to counterargue and the message will be less persuasive.

Question 31

You will be perceived as more credible if you

A) speak with a higher pitch.
B) speak with great emotion.
C) speak slowly, carefully articulating each phrase.
D) speak confidently, without hesitating.

Question 32

In terms of persuasion, which of the following is the best example of a peripheral heuristic?

A) The advertising phrase, "Be All That You Can Be"
B) A book being recommended by the Oprah Book Club
C) Both of the these choices
D) None of these choices

Question 33

Perceptions of trustworthiness can be increased by

A) giving direct eye contact to one's audience.
B) telling the audience your intent to persuade.
C) arguing in a straightforward way for one's own self-interest.
D) arguing for the position the audience expects of you.

Question 34

We know if a message offers convincing arguments it will be more persuasive. This "cognitive response" approach helps us understand

A) why persuasion occurs more in some situations than in others.
B) when persuasion occurs.
C) where persuasion occurs.
D) how much persuasion occurs.

Question 35

Two primary components of credibility are

A) confidence and attractiveness.
B) confidence and trustworthiness.
C) expertise and trustworthiness.
D) expertise and similarity.

Question 36

Speaking in a straightforward manner contributes to one's being perceived as more ___________.

A) masculine
B) attractive
C) credible
D) consistent

Question 37

John doesn't care at all about the legalization of marijuana, but in class he listened to a speech in favour of it. All else being equal, John is most likely to be persuaded if

A) the message contains short, cogent arguments.
B) the message contains information about the benefits of marijuana use that he can think about and evaluate.
C) the message is delivered by a fast talker.
D) none of these choices.

Question 38

A local charity is recruiting university students to help canvass to raise money. Of the following individuals, all of whom are equally well known and popular on campus, who should be the most persuasive in raising funds?

A) Marcie, well known for her stinginess when it comes to money.
B) Jennifer, well known for her outgoing and fun-loving personality.
C) Mary, well known for her generosity and compassion.
D) Beth, well known for her leadership abilities.

Question 39

In a study by Miller and colleagues, people who listened to tape-recorded messages on topics like "the dangers of drinking coffee" rated fast speakers as being _____ than slow speakers.

A) less objective
B) less intelligent
C) more believable
D) more manipulative

Question 40

Compared to the central route, the peripheral route to persuasion is more likely to lead to

A) behaviour change.
B) more resistant attitudes.
C) superficial attitude change.
D) persistent attitude change.

Question 41

Compared to happy people, unhappy people ruminate more before reacting to a persuasive message and thus are

A) more vulnerable to emotional appeals.
B) less easily swayed by weak arguments.
C) less involved in judging persuasive messages.
D) more vulnerable to one-sided messages.

Question 42

Fear-arousing messages have proven potent in convincing people to

A) cut down on smoking.
B) brush their teeth more often.
C) drive carefully.
D) all of these choices

Question 43

When might you be more persuaded to agree with an argument made by your grade 8 school teacher than with an argument made by your best friend?

A) When the argument is about the most important school subject
B) When the argument is over the outcome of the War of 1812
C) When the argument is about the merits of a professional basketball team
D) None of these choices

Question 44

When it comes to matters of objective reality or fact, we are most influenced by

A) attractive others.
B) similar others.
C) trustworthy others.
D) dissimilar others.

Question 45

A similar communicator would be most effective in changing beliefs about the

A) health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.
B) dangers of marijuana use.
C) dangers of driving without wearing seat belts.
D) advantages of living in a small town versus the country or a large city.

Question 46

Physical appeal and similarity are two important factors that determine a communicator's

A) credibility.
B) status.
C) attractiveness.
D) trustworthiness.

Question 47

When the choice concerns matters of personal value, taste, or way of life, ______________ communicators have the most influence.

A) attractive
B) similar
C) dissimilar
D) emotional

Question 48

According to research, when a speaker presents an unexpected rather than an expected position, we are more likely to attribute the message to compelling evidence and thus

A) not be persuaded by it.
B) be persuaded by it.
C) respond emotionally to it.
D) be unaffected by it.

Question 49

Good feelings ________ persuasion by: ________ and by ________.

A) enhance; enhancing positive thinking; linking good feelings with the message
B) diminish; diminish positive thinking; linking good feeling with the message
C) enhance; diminish positive thinking; not linking good feeling with the message
D) None of the above

Question 50

Which is more influential: reason or emotion? Persuasion research has revealed that the best answer to this question is

A) reason is more influential.
B) emotion is more influential.
C) both reason and emotion together in a message are necessary to produce persuasion.
D) it depends on the audience.

Question 51

________________ audiences are more persuaded by _______________.

A) Well-educated; rational appeals.
B) Uninvolved; how much they like the communicator.
C) Highly involved; reasoned arguments.
D) All of these choices.

Question 52

The best persuader on matters of subjective experience is

A) someone who minds his/her self-interest.
B) a male persuader.
C) a female persuader.
D) a similar communicator.

Question 53

Well-educated or analytical people are __________ responsive to rational appeals; less-educated or less analytical people are ____________ responsive to rational appeals.

A) more; less
B) less; more
C) both A and B
D) none of the above

Question 54

People who are similar to ourselves will be more influential than those who are dissimilar to us in persuading us about all of the following questions except:

A) Which soft drink tastes best?
B) Is being honest more important than being loving?
C) Who would make the best Prime Minister?
D) Which Canadian city gets the most annual rainfall?

Question 55

Janis and his colleagues found that if university students were allowed to consume peanuts and Pepsi while reading persuasive messages, they

A) felt manipulated and resisted influence.
B) were more convinced by the messages.
C) were distracted and showed poorer comprehension of the messages.
D) viewed the communicator as more attractive but less credible.

Question 56

Fear-arousing messages are effective if they

A) tell people how to avoid the danger.
B) raise a moderate but not high level of fear.
C) are presented by similar rather than dissimilar communicators.
D) follow the peripheral rather than the central route of persuasion.

Question 57

When the fear aroused by a persuasive message is relevant to a pleasurable activity (e.g., sex or smoking), the result is often

A) intensified fear.
B) reduced fear.
C) immediate behavioural change.
D) denial.

Question 58

Jim is not completely confident in the strength of the persuasiveness of his arguments. To increase his degree of influence, Jim ought to

A) provide refreshments for his audience.
B) play pleasant background music as the audience gathers.
C) tell a few really good jokes at the beginning of his speech.
D) all of these choices.

Question 59

Janice is a lawyer and is listening to two of her colleagues discuss new legislation on dealing with young offenders. Bill is discussing the issues by logically pointing out the facts of the legislation and implications of these changes, whereas Charlene is emotional and recounts details of a case where a young male killed a single mother of four kids. Which of Janice's colleagues is most likely to influence her view on the legislation?

A) Bill
B) Charlene
C) Janice will rely on her own views and ignore her colleagues
D) Both of her colleagues will be equally influential

Question 60

What is the effect of a fear-arousing communication?

A) Fear renders a communication ineffective.
B) Generally, the more frightened people are, the more they respond.
C) Evoking a low level of fear is effective, but producing a high level of fear is not.
D) Fear appeals are effective with women but boomerang with men.

Question 61

Communicators with little credibility are most effective in changing the opinions of other people when they advocate positions that

A) arouse the emotions of the audience.
B) arouse intense dissonance in the audience.
C) differ only moderately from the positions of the audience.
D) differ markedly from the positions of the audience.

Question 62

People who disagree with conclusions drawn by a newscaster rate the newscaster as being more

A) biased.
B) inaccurate.
C) untrustworthy.
D) all of these choices

Question 63

A message presenting only one side of an issue will be more effective than a two-sided communication if

A) the issue is of great personal significance to the audience and tends to elicit strong emotion.
B) the communicator has only moderate credibility or attractiveness.
C) the audience tends to agree with the advocated position and will not hear the opposing side.
D) the audience is well-informed and is already aware of the opposing arguments.

Question 64

What is the most convincing thing Sue can say if she wants the children she is babysitting to stay away from strange dogs while they are playing outside?

A) "Don't go near strange dogs!"
B) "Sometimes dogs attack and bite little children."
C) "Some dogs are not as friendly as your dog, so you should be very careful if you see a dog you don't know."
D) "If you see a strange dog running loose in the neighbourhood, come home right away because the dog might attack you or bite you."

Question 65

In an election campaign debate, Kelly makes her statement to the audience first and is immediately followed by her opponent, Stuart. The election is not held until two weeks later. If both messages were persuasive and the debate was the deciding factor, the election results should show the influence of

A) the recency effect.
B) the primacy effect.
C) a two-step flow of communication.
D) the credibility-discrepancy effect.

Question 66

In an election campaign debate, Joanne makes her statement to the audience during the first week of campaigning. Her opponent Deborah presents her campaign the next week. The election is the next day following Deborah's statement. If both messages were persuasive and the debate was the deciding factor, the election results should show the influence of

A) the recency effect.
B) the primacy effect.
C) a two-step flow of communication.
D) the credibility-discrepancy effect.

Question 67

Persuasion research has revealed a number of

A) complex interaction effects.
B) simple main effects.
C) findings consistent with "Occam's razor."
D) common sense findings that could have easily been predicted.

Question 68

In the primacy effect, information presented _________ usually has the ________ influence.

A) last; most
B) first; least
C) first; most
D) none of the above

Question 69

You have been asked to design an advertising campaign urging people to use protection when engaging in sexual activity. To be most effective, your message should arouse

A) no fear.
B) a moderate level of fear.
C) a low level of fear.
D) a high level of fear.

Question 70

In experiments where people succeed on a guessing task half the time and fail half the time, people perceive those whose successes come early as

A) likely to have cheated.
B) more able than those whose early experience is failure.
C) less attractive than those whose successes come later.
D) having lost interest in the task.

Question 71

Nazi propaganda was effective because it

A) was vivid.
B) used emotional, often fear-arousing appeals.
C) gave specific instructions on how to deal with the "Jewish threat."
D) all of these choices.

Question 72

Which of the following is true?

A) Messages should always be extremely discrepant from the views of the audience.
B) Messages should never be extremely discrepant from the views of the audience.
C) The effect of discrepancy depends on the channel of communication.
D) The effect of discrepancy depends on communicator credibility.

Question 73

A highly discrepant message is least likely to be persuasive if the audience

A) is deeply involved in the issue.
B) is youthful.
C) views the communicator as credible.
D) is in a happy mood.

Question 74

If you are a credible authority and your audience isn't much concerned with your issue, chances are that you

A) may be able to persuade them.
B) will be unable to persuade them.
C) will make them more involved with the issue.
D) none of the above.

Question 75

If your audience includes those with or those who will be exposed to opposing views, you should _______________ to be persuasive.

A) offer a two-sided appeal
B) offer a one-sided appeal
C) offer yet one more view that has not been considered yet
D) none of the above

Question 76

According to the text, health warnings on cigarette ads are effective because they

A) have source credibility.
B) include graphic labels depicting the hazards of smoking.
C) generate a moderate amount of fear.
D) have logical appeal.

Question 77

A group of concerned students who drive to school each day came to a meeting about the possibility of more parking restrictions on campus. As a representative of the university administration in favour of the restrictions, you ought to

A) present only strong arguments in favour of the new restrictions.
B) present the most extreme version of the plan to restrict parking.
C) present both sides of the issue.
D) present an emotional appeal.

Question 78

Aronson, Turner, and Carlsmith found that only a _____________ source elicited considerable opinion change when advocating a position greatly discrepant from the recipient's.

A) credible
B) physically appealing
C) fear-arousing
D) personally familiar

Question 79

If you are a credible authority and your audience isn't much concerned with your issue, you ought to

A) advocate an extremely discrepant view.
B) advocate a moderately discrepant view.
C) advocate a slightly discrepant view.
D) present a short message.

Question 80

Which of the following statements best summarizes the effect of a highly discrepant message on an audience that disagrees with it?

A) Discrepant messages cause discomfort in the audience, which then discounts all associated arguments
B) Discrepancy arouses audience attention and increases analysis and elaboration of the message, so it is accepted.
C) Discrepancy and credibility interact, so that the effect of a large or small discrepancy depends on communicator credibility.
D) None of these choices.