Deck 5: Self-Justification

Question 1

Research studies that examine the effect of mobile phones on social interactions find that if people have a mobile phone visibly nearby during face-to-face interactions, it:

A) increases the quality of the social interactions
B) leads people to see the cell phone owner as less understanding and trustworthy
C) leads people to think that spending more time together would lead to a friendship
D) created a belief that the mobile phone owner was popular and desirable

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When lawyers and politicians want to persuade, they often use:

A) strictly central route arguments
B) strictly peripheral route arguments
C) neither, only logical arguments
D) both central and peripheral arguments

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The news media's sensationalizing of events such as suicides and the Tylenol poisonings sometimes incites copycat suicides and copycat poisonings. This phenomenon is known as:

A) media proliferation
B) reactive imitation
C) emotional contagion
D) forensic journalism

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The impact of television commercials on very young children is reflected in the fact that:

A) most children express a desire to imitate the behavior of TV characters
B) fewer than 20 percent of preschool-aged children asked for toys or food they saw advertised on TV
C) very young children tend to be quite cynical about advertising claims
D) according to their mothers, a majority of preschoolers were able to sing commercial jingles learned from television

Question 5

Phillips's research on the impact of media coverage of car-crash suicides revealed that following a publicized suicide:

A) there was a decrease in single-car, one-passenger "suicide" accidents
B) victims of "suicide" accidents tended to be of similar age as the victim of the publicized suicide
C) there was an increase in multiple-car accidents
D) there was an increase in pedestrian fatalities involving hit-and-run drivers

Question 6

In his study of the effects of media coverage of teenage suicides, David Phillips found that:

A) coverage of the confusion and grief surrounding the suicides produced a decrease in teen suicides following the coverage
B) there was an increase in teen suicides following the coverage
C) the suicide rate following the coverage remained surprisingly unchanged, pointing to the limited effects of media coverage of news events
D) the suicide rate increased moderately at first, followed by a sharp decrease as mental health workers responded to the crisis

Question 7

Research studies that examine the effect of mobile phones on cognitive tasks find that:

A) having one visible on a desk hurts performance on difficult cognitive tasks
B) having one visible on a desk hurts performance on easy tasks but not difficult ones
C) having one visible on a desk does not hurt cognitive performance
D) having one visible on a desk improved cognitive performance compared to those students who had put their phones away

Question 8

A research study that separated one group of schoolchildren from their electronic devices over a five-day summer camp stay found that when they returned home from the summer camp, they:

A) did not improve in social intelligence above the group that kept their phones
B) were excessive in their use of mobile phones and other electronic devices
C) had decreased social intelligence scores compared to their pre-camp scores
D) had increased social intelligence compared to their scores before the trip

Question 9

According to the text, what percent of tenth-grade students believed that TV commercials were truthful most of the time?

A) 4 percent
B) 33 percent
C) 60 percent
D) 80 percent

Question 10

After a media overexposure of an event like September 11, 2001, citizens are most likely

A) to engage in rational public debate on national policy
B) to allow a variety of ways to show dissent
C) to encourage different viewpoints to seek the truth
D) to react emotionally and to see basically one perspective

Question 11

In a study by Hovland and Weiss, subjects heard arguments regarding the feasibility of atomic submarines. Subjects were more persuaded by physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer rather than the Soviet newspaper Pravda because:

A) Oppenheimer was an attractive source, and thus subjects wished to identify with him
B) Oppenheimer was perceived as an expert and trustworthy source of information, unlike Pravda
C) Oppenheimer's arguments contained vivid examples, whereas Pravda presented the information in the form of statistics
D) subjects knew that Pravda was arguing against its own self-interest and thus could not be trusted

Question 12

Petty and Cacioppo say there are two routes to persuasion:

A) The central and the peripheral
B) The primacy and the recency
C) The expert and the trustworthy
D) The fluency and the probability

Question 13

Both opinions and attitudes are primarily cognitive in nature. However, attitudes:

A) have an emotional component
B) have an evaluative component
C) have both an emotional and an evaluative component
D) are transient in nature

Question 14

Suppose you are going to organize a program for high school students advocating stricter enforcement of the drug laws. All other things being equal, your most persuasive speaker would be a:

A) police officer
B) concerned and well-liked parent
C) person serving a jail sentence for drug possession
D) student who has always supported this view

Question 15

Bobby, a second grader, is working on a problem in his arithmetic book. The problem reads, "Mary and her sister are baking three cakes for the school bake sale. To bake one cake, they will need 2 cups of flour and 1 egg. How many cups of flour and how many eggs will they need to bake 3 cakes?" According to Aronson, Bobby's math problem might be considered by some people to be a subtle form of:

A) propaganda
B) persuasion
C) the inoculation effect
D) a one-sided argument

Question 16

A study by Aronson and Golden revealed that sixth-graders were more persuaded of the importance of arithmetic after listening to the pro-math arguments of a prize-winning engineer as compared to a dishwasher. However, when the engineer giving the speech was a black man:

A) all students found his arguments less persuasive than those of the white engineer
B) all students found his arguments more persuasive than those of the white engineer
C) most students devalued engineering as a profession
D) only students who were highly prejudiced against blacks found his arguments less persuasive than those of the white engineer

Question 17

During the 1988 presidential campaign, Willie Horton was candidate George Bush's (the elder) most valuable player because

A) he contributed $2 million to his campaign even though it was illegally done
B) he was Bush's top political campaign adviser
C) Bush used peripheral advertising to discuss this felon's release from prison
D) Bush asked him to design central arguments against Dukakis's economic policy

Question 18

Research in attitude change suggests that to be a credible source, a communicator should be both:

A) expert and trustworthy
B) respected and feared
C) attractive and intelligent
D) trustworthy and intelligent

Question 19

Suppose you watch a TV ad for a deodorant that tells you almost nothing about the product but presents it being used by beautiful, popular, successful people. The persuasion appeal is:

A) the primacy effect
B) the inoculation effect
C) the central route
D) the peripheral route

Question 20

Suppose you see an ad for a deodorant that focuses on how effective it is in comparison tests and how it compares in cost to other products and that it is all-natural. The persuasion appeal is:

A) the central route
B) the peripheral route
C) the logical route
D) the inoculation effect

Question 21

Attractive or likable communicators tend to be more persuasive when they are obviously trying to persuade us. This statement is:

A) true, but only when the communicator is delivering a message that the audience already agrees with
B) false, except when the communicator is an expert source of information regarding the issue
C) true, but only when the audience is composed of men
D) true, but only in the case of trivial issues

Question 22

According to Aronson's chapter on persuasion, emotional appeals tend to influence _______, and specific instructions tend to influence ________.

A) actual behavior; attitudes
B) attitudes; intentions
C) intentions; attitudes
D) attitudes; actual behavior

Question 23

Walster and Festinger conducted an experiment in which subjects "overheard" a conversation between two graduate students, one of whom expressed an opinion on a certain issue. Subjects' opinions were influenced by the graduate student's opinion when:

A) the graduate student had previously performed a favor for the subject
B) the subject believed the graduate students were unaware of his or her presence
C) the graduate student was an expert on the issue in question
D) the graduate student presented a two-sided argument regarding the issue in question

Question 24

The "Don't Mess with Texas" campaign resulted in:

A) an increase in littering due to reactance theory
B) no change in littering behavior of Texans
C) a drop of 72% in littering on Texas highways
D) more littering compared to the alternative slogan of "Don't Litter"

Question 25

All other things being equal, the overwhelming weight of experimental evidence on fear and persuasion suggests that, in general, the more frightened a person is by a communication:

A) the more likely he or she is to come up with counterarguments that oppose the fear-arousing communication
B) the more likely he or she is to refuse to take positive, preventive action
C) the more likely he or she is to "go into denial" and refuse to listen to future communications on the same issue
D) the more likely he or she is to take positive, preventive action

Question 26

A one-sided argument for why nuclear power should be discontinued would be more persuasive than a two-sided argument with which of the following groups?

A) A local antinuke group
B) A college physics class
C) A group of soldiers who had been drafted into the Army
D) The U.S. Department of Energy staff

Question 27

Fear appeals seem to function best when:

A) followed by clear recommendations for reducing arousal
B) the fear is extremely high
C) the fear cannot be reduced
D) recommendations offered produce an increase in arousal

Question 28

You are in the market for a new car and think you would like to own a Saab. According to research reported by Richard Nisbett and his associates, which of the following would be most likely to influence your decision?

A) Television commercials for Saab that are both informative and emotionally appealing
B) Print ads for Saab that are primarily informative
C) Hearing about the huge repair bills a neighbor's sister had on her Saab
D) A high ranking made by Consumer Reports based on a sample of 75,000 miles of testing

Question 29

Which of the following conditions tends to make a one-sided argument more effective in persuading an audience than a two-sided argument?

A) An intelligent and sophisticated audience
B) A relatively unintelligent and uninformed audience
C) A very rational and unemotional audience
D) An audience that is initially opposed to the speaker's argument

Question 30

Generally, high-fear appeals are more effective than low-fear appeals in producing behavior change when:

A) specific instructions are provided on how to avoid painful consequences
B) the issue is unimportant to the audience
C) the issue is moderately important to the audience
D) the audience is challenged to come up with their own plan for avoiding painful consequences

Question 31

Under certain conditions, a two-sided argument may be more persuasive than a one-sided argument because:

A) a well-informed audience is aware of both sides of the issue and, thus, would tend to perceive a one-sided argument as unfair or biased
B) all audiences appreciate hearing both sides of a controversial issue
C) an uninformed audience needs to hear both sides of the issue before forming an opinion
D) a one-sided argument would probably be confusing to an uninformed audience

Question 32

We are more persuaded through moral elevation when:

A) we are shamed into action
B) someone uses non-moral-tinged language
C) we witness virtue in others
D) it is laced with a fear message

Question 33

Appeals to identity in persuasive messages are ______ to persuade people to action.

A) less likely
B) more likely
C) unlikely ever
D) less effective than impersonal messages

Question 34

When is a two-sided message likely to be more effective than a one-sided message?

A) When the position advocated falls within the audience's latitude of acceptance
B) When the audience is poorly informed and in general agreement with the source
C) When the audience is well informed and in general opposition to the position of the source
D) When the position advocated falls in the audience's latitude of rejection

Question 35

The more frightened a person is by the communication, the more likely he or she is to take immediate preventive action. This statement:

A) is true for most people
B) describes the way a person with high self-esteem might react to the message
C) describes the way a person with low self-esteem might react to the message
D) is false for most people

Question 36

In the case of people with low self-esteem, communications that arouse a great deal of fear tend to:

A) be ineffective under all circumstances
B) be effective when accompanied by instructions regarding appropriate action
C) inhibit immediate action but are effective after a delay
D) persuade the person to take immediate action

Question 37

In a study by Leventhal, some students were exposed to a high-fear message regarding the importance of taking tetanus shots. Later, half of them were given specific instructions about where and when the shots were available, while the other half was not. Compared to the group that received instructions, students who did not receive them:

A) displayed less favorable attitudes toward taking the shots
B) displayed equally favorable attitudes toward the shots but were less likely to actually take the shots
C) displayed less favorable attitudes toward the shots and were less likely to actually take the shots.
D) were equally likely to take the shots, but only after a 2-day delay

Question 38

Energy auditors were more successful in persuading home owners to make improvements that would increase the energy efficiency of their homes when:

A) the auditors were expert and trustworthy
B) the auditors showed home owners' reports of how much money they would save if they made the improvements
C) the auditors used highly vivid language and examples when making their recommendations to home owners
D) the auditors used a two-sided argument when making their recommendations

Question 39

According to research presented in the text, people with high self-esteem are most likely to be persuaded by campaigns using:

A) low fear
B) moderate fear
C) high fear
D) all of the above are equally effective

Question 40

Elizabeth, a high school student who smokes cigarettes, saw a film in her health class that depicted horrible scenes of people dying from lung cancer. After class, a friend asked her whether the film had convinced her to quit smoking. Elizabeth said no. However, a few days later, she realized she did want to quit and decided to sign up for a program to help her stop smoking. Based on research on persuasion, what might you conclude?

A) High-fear messages are based on the primacy effect.
B) Elizabeth was distracted while watching the film.
C) Elizabeth has low self-esteem.
D) Elizabeth was experiencing the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 41

Evolutionary psychologists argue that over time (i.e., a millennia), the two sets of core attitudes displayed by conservatives and liberals would:

A) eventually merge into a single moderate set of attitudes
B) rip apart human society
C) have adaptive benefits for human societies
D) show that conservative attitudes have the greatest benefit for human societies

Question 42

There appears to be a positive linear relationship between one's attitude change and the credibility of the source of the communication as long as:

A) the person has high self-esteem
B) the message is within one's latitude of acceptance
C) a primacy effect is operating
D) the argument presents both sides of the issues

Question 43

One way of decreasing the persuadability of members of an audience is:

A) to feed them desirable food while someone is trying to persuade them
B) to forewarn them that someone is going to try to persuade them
C) to remind them that even though the speaker might be credible, he or she may not be trustworthy
D) to hide from them the fact that someone is going to try to persuade them

Question 44

Assume that a speaker has low credibility with the audience. For maximum attitude change, how discrepant from the audience's initial position should the communication be?

A) Not at all discrepant
B) Moderately discrepant
C) Highly discrepant
D) Discrepancy is not a significant factor if the speaker has low credibility

Question 45

In general, individuals who feel _________are more easily influenced by a persuasive communication than individuals who ________ themselves.

A) highly about themselves; think less of
B) inadequate; think highly of
C) knowledgeable about a topic; think they know less
D) rebellious; lack flexibility

Question 46

Hovland, Harvey, and Sherif conducted an experiment on latitude of acceptance of ideas about the state being "wet" or "dry" on the sale of alcohol beverages. They found that:

A) the greatest change happened when a moderate discrepancy took place between the actual message and the individual's original opinion
B) the greatest change happened when an extreme discrepancy took place between the actual message and the individual's original opinion
C) it was very difficult to change the elders of the community because they wanted the state "dry"
D) the greatest change happened for only people who moved from their "dry" position to a "wet" position because they could see the economic benefits

Question 47

Martha's mother tells her that she is absolutely never to dye her hair a "funny color." Martha proceeds to dye her hair purple. Martha's behavior is best thought of as an example of:

A) the primacy effect
B) the recency effect
C) the inoculation effect
D) reactance

Question 48

When a person is exposed to a watered-down attack on his or her beliefs, this produces resistance to later persuasion because:

A) the person becomes bored with the topic
B) the person gains some practice in defending his or her beliefs
C) the person feels that he or she is not conforming to another's wishes
D) none of the above is true since prior exposure decreases resistance to later persuasion

Question 49

"Persuasive communications, if blatant or coercive, can be perceived as intruding upon one's freedom of choice, thereby activating a person's defenses to resist the messages." This statement reflects the central idea of which of the following theories or concepts?

A) Reinforcement theory
B) The inoculation effect
C) Reactance theory
D) The primacy effect

Question 50

According to Aronson, under which of the following conditions of persuasive communication would people's attitudes typically change the most?

A) When an expert argues an extreme position
B) When a nonexpert argues an extreme position
C) When an expert argues a moderate position
D) When a nonexpert argues a moderate position

Question 51

To change a person's attitude the most, a communicator should present a position that is highly distant or discrepant from the person's initial position.

A) The statement is true.
B) The statement is false.
C) The statement is true only for low-credibility communicators.
D) The statement is true only for high-credibility communicators.