Deck 5: Attitudes and Attitude Change

Question 1

The ________ component of an attitude consists of the thoughts (including facts, knowledge, and beliefs) a person has about an attitude object.

A) affective
B) cognitive
C) behavioral
D) arousal

Answer 1

cognitive

Question 2

The "ABCs" Of attitudes refers to

A) attitudes, behaviors, and consciousness
B) association, balance, and commitment
C) affective, behavioral, and cognitive
D) abilities, behaviors, and consequences

Answer 2

affective, behavioral, and cognitive

Question 3

A psychologist who studies attitudes claims that attitudes are simply habits, and they are acquired through association and imitation. Which theory does the psychologist endorse?

A) cognitive consistency theory
B) expectancy value theory
C) cognitive dissonance theory
D) learning theory

Answer 3

learning theory

Question 4

You have a negative attitude toward chemistry because your chemistry teacher was a hostile, angry man who liked to belittle students. Your attitude toward chemistry was probably formed through

A) reinforcement
B) dissonance
C) association
D) counterarguing

Question 5

You take a psychology course and receive an A for the semester, and then decide that you like psychology and want to be a psychology major. Which principle best explains your attitude?

A) reinforcement
B) imitation
C) balance
D) dissonance reduction

Question 6

Jake tells his babysitter that he is going to vote for Nader in the 2008 election. Jake's mother is a Nader supporter, so Jake most likely learned his political attitudes through:

A) punishment
B) imitation
C) theory
D) cognition

Question 7

A professor finds that students will agree with statements that they believe were made by Thomas Jefferson but disagree with the same statements when they believed they were made by Adolph Hitler. This finding is an example of

A) message learning
B) the least effort principle
C) insufficient justification
D) transfer of affect

Question 8

Balance theory and cognitive dissonance theory are both examples of the ________ framework.

A) learning
B) expectancy-value
C) cognitive consistency
D) psychodynamic

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a balanced situation?

A) I dislike Tom and President Bush. Tom dislikes President Bush, too.
B) I like Tom. Tom supports President Bush and so do I.
C) I like Tom. I dislike President Bush, but Tom supports Bush.
D) I dislike Tom. I support President Bush, and so does Tom.

Question 10

Which principle describes the most likely way for imbalanced attitude configurations to change toward balanced ones?

A) principle of least interest
B) counterarguing
C) differential decay hypothesis
D) least effort principle

Question 11

The aversive motivational state that results when some behavior we engage in is inconsistent with our attitudes is known as

A) dissonance
B) arousal
C) discrepancy
D) contrast

Question 12

Which is NOT a way that people attempt to reduce dissonance?

A) changing behavior
B) change their emotions
C) change their attitudes
D) trivialize the dissonance

Question 13

Brehm (1956) asked college women to rate eight products and then gave each woman one to take home. Women who were allowed to choose the product they would receive and were then asked to re-rate the products. Brehm found that

A) women rated the chosen product higher after making their choice
B) women rated all products higher after making their choice
C) women rated all products lower after making their choice
D) women rated the chosen product lower after making their choice

Question 14

After much thought, Bob decides to buy a Honda rather than a Ford. After buying the car, he likes Honda and dislikes Fords even more than before. His reaction is consistent with the predictions of

A) expectancy-value theory
B) the reasoned action model
C) cognitive dissonance theory
D) the elaboration-likelihood model

Question 15

According to dissonance theory, when a person engages in attitude-discrepant behavior, the person is likely to

A) distort the message
B) change his or her attitude
C) discredit the source
D) experience the sleeper effect

Question 16

When people are engaged in counter-attitudinal behavior, they are likely to resolve the resulting cognitive dissonance by

A) changing their behavior
B) minimizing the importance of the attitude
C) derogating the source
D) changing their attitude

Question 17

Imagine that a researcher asks you to perform a dull task and then pays you to lie by telling a prospective subject that the task was enjoyable. The principle of insufficient justification says that you should come to see the task as _____ when you are paid _____.

A) interesting and enjoyable; less
B) tedious and boring; less
C) interesting and enjoyable; more
D) none of the above

Question 18

According to dissonance theory, a mother who wants her child to believe that having a clean room is a good thing should

A) keep her own room clean to provide a good model
B) provide a mild threat of punishment for having a dirty room
C) reward the child with money for cleaning her room
D) raise the child's general self-esteem

Question 19

According to research, you will feel the most cognitive dissonance if you engage in a costly behavior

A) that is consistent with your previously stated attitudes
B) in exchange for a sizable bribe or reward
C) out of fear of a powerful threat
D) of your own free will

Question 20

Which factor does NOT influence how much dissonance a person feels when engaging in attitude-discrepant behavior?

A) irrevocable commitment
B) effort
C) distraction
D) choice

Question 21

For dissonance to occur, people need to believe that

A) they could have foreseen the negative consequences of their decisions
B) they are not responsible for the consequences of their decisions
C) their behavior is consistent with their attitudes
D) all of the above

Question 22

According to dissonance theory, if you volunteer to help clean up oil spills on the beach, and the work is unpleasant, exhausting, and difficult, then you will probably

A) decide to quit doing this work
B) come to believe that the work is important and you enjoy it
C) decide to continue, but only if you are paid for the work
D) keep working, but only because your coworkers will be angry if you quit

Question 23

Carlos decides to join a fraternity. He puts in a lot of effort but is treated very poorly by his future brothers. Because of his effort, Carlos is most likely to __________ his fraternity brothers.

A) hate
B) love
C) not want to hang out with
D) distrust

Question 24

What result would self-perception theory predict from a study in which participants performed a dull task but were paid to tell another subject it was enjoyable?

A) The more subjects are paid, the more guilty they should feel for lying.
B) The more subjects are paid, the more enjoyable they should find the task.
C) The less subjects are paid, the more interesting they should find the task.
D) none of the above

Question 25

The self-perception process is most likely to occur when

A) we are in a positive mood
B) we have strong opinions about an issue
C) we are forced to express an attitude we don't really believe
D) our attitudes are vague or uninvolving

Question 26

Cross-cultural research on consistency principles has shown that

A) the drive for consistency is a fairly universal phenomenon
B) interdependent cultures, such as Japan, value greater consistency more than our Own
C) interdependent cultures, such as Japan, value consistency less than our own
D) individualistic cultures value consistency more than enhancement

Question 27

People base their attitudes on the pros and cons of a particular position and on the likelihood of possible effects of that attitude. This statement describes

A) consistency theories of attitudes
B) self-perception theory
C) learning theory
D) expectancy-value theory

Question 28

Sheila knows that if she attends her friend's party that she might get to dance and have a good time, but she is certain that she will also fail her chemistry midterm, and her grade in chemistry is very important to her. Expectancy-value theory predicts that

A) Sheila will have great difficulty making a decision
B) Sheila will decide to skip the party and study for her midterm
C) Sheila will decide to go to the party and cram for the test in the morning
D) Sheila will decide that she doesn't care so much about her grade in chemistry
Anyway

Question 29

Cognitive response theory predicts that attitude change depends on

A) counterarguing
B) message learning
C) transfer of affect
D) source derogation

Question 30

Petty and Cacioppo's (1986) elaboration-likelihood model of persuasion argues that sometimes people are influenced by the superficial cues of an argument, without evaluating the quality of the argument. This is referred to as

A) central processing
B) peripheral processing
C) systematic processing
D) counterarguing

Question 31

Chaiken (1980, 1987) has distinguished between __________ processing, which involves careful review of arguments, and __________ processing, which involves using simple decision rules.

A) heuristic; systematic
B) systematic; central
C) heuristic; peripheral
D) systematic; heuristic

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the communicator that influences persuasion?

A) expertise
B) trustworthiness
C) reference groups
D) response involvement

Question 33

Credibility consists of assessments of __________.

A) expertise
B) trustworthiness
C) negativity
D) a and b

Question 34

Kurt is especially likely to be convinced by the television network's legal commentator if he believes the commentator is

A) a former attorney
B) popular
C) biased
D) an actor

Question 35

When people argue against their own self-interest, it increases

A) their self-esteem
B) their expertise
C) their trustworthiness
D) their likeability

Question 36

Studies have shown that messages communicated by a reference group result in

A) more content-focused processing
B) greater attitude change
C) greater desire for similarity
D) all of the above

Question 37

Paul, an avid Chicago Bulls fan, hears an acquaintance arguing persuasively that the Los Angeles Lakers are the most consistent and talented basketball team ever. When he can't find reasons to support his own position, he tells the acquaintance, "You just don't know anything about basketball!"
This is an example of

A) inoculation
B) source derogation
C) the use of peripheral cues
D) the sleeper effect

Question 38

Studies of message discrepancy have shown that the greatest attitude change occurs when

A) discrepancy with existing attitudes is low
B) discrepancy with existing attitudes is moderate
C) discrepancy with existing attitudes is high
D) there is no discrepancy between existing attitudes and the message

Question 39

Maryanne hears a speaker talk about his pro-life stance. Maryanne, who is herself pro-life, believes that this speaker's position is closer to hers than it actually is because of

A) contrast
B) assimilation
C) argument strength
D) perceived understanding

Question 40

The strength of an argument makes a difference in determining persuasion only when

A) the communicator is highly attractive
B) the argument is two-sided
C) the audience is motivated and able to pay attention
D) the argument is repeated several times

Question 41

Research on the effects of repetition suggests that attitude change is greatest when

A) the repeated arguments are weak
B) the repeated arguments are highly discrepant from the audience's position
C) the repeated arguments are presented by an unattractive communicator
D) the repeated arguments are varied somewhat in their presentation

Question 42

Carl does not know much about Cuban politics, so hearing a __________ message would impact his attitudes more.

A) shorter
B) comedic
C) longer
D) cognitive

Question 43

A confirmed smoker decides the Surgeon General's warning means that people should decrease, rather than quit, smoking. This is an example of

A) source derogation
B) distorting the message
C) blanket rejecting
D) inoculation

Question 44

Attitude change research has shown that when people are made to feel aggressive, they are more likely to accept

A) all arguments
B) arguments advocating beliefs that they previously disagreed with
C) arguments advocating aggressive action
D) arguments advocating pacifism

Question 45

Research has shown that ________ is most effective for producing attitude change.

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

Question 46

Michelle wants to design a public service announcement that will encourage adolescents not to smoke cigarettes. Research on fear arousal suggests that she should

A) make the ad moderately frightening
B) make the ad as frightening as possible
C) not make the ad frightening at all
D) only use fear arousal if the ad will use very strong arguments

Question 47

Most researchers now adopt a(n) ________ framework for understanding the effect of fear on persuasion.

A) consistency theory
B) cognitive dissonance theory
C) learning theory
D) expectancy-value theory

Question 48

Which is NOT a type of ego involvement that is relevant to work on attitude change?

A) relational involvement
B) response involvement
C) issue involvement
D) commitment

Question 49

Which of the following is likely to increase David's commitment to the belief that people should not eat meat?

A) having expressed this attitude to friends at a party
B) not having eaten any meat for the last two weeks
C) having arrived at this belief of his own free will
D) all of the above

Question 50

Which type of person is most likely to scrutinize arguments closely?

A) one who is highly issue-involved and highly response-involved
B) one who is highly issue-involved and weakly response-involved
C) one who is weakly issue-involved and highly response-involved
D) one who is weakly issue-involved and weakly response-involved

Question 51

Which statement about persuasion and personality characteristics is true?

A) Dogmatic people are persuaded by experts regardless of the strength of the argument.
B) People with a high need for closure are easily persuaded.
C) People low in dogmatism are most persuaded by weak arguments.
D) Little is known about the effects of personality variables on attitude change.

Question 52

Paul feels bad today because he just had a fight with his significant other. He is more likely to

A) process arguments according to heuristics
B) process arguments more systematically
C) blame his bad mood on the weather
D) process arguments with less effort than he normally would

Question 53

One reason why forewarning is an effective way of counteracting a persuasive message is that it

A) inhibits rationalization
B) promotes susceptibility
C) stimulates distraction
D) motivates counterarguments

Question 54

If you were giving a speech as a candidate for president of the student government, which would you want to utilize to increase the persuasiveness of your argument?

A) forewarning
B) inoculation
C) distraction
D) counterarguing

Question 55

The process whereby people's attitudes are made more resistant by exposure to mild counterarguments is called

A) habituation
B) desensitization
C) generalization
D) inoculation

Question 56

McGuire and Papageorgis (1961) conducted a study of the inoculation defense and found that the participants who were least influenced by a strong attack on their initial attitudes were those who

A) had received initial support for their position
B) had their position attacked weakly and refuted it
C) had been rewarded for creating supportive arguments
D) were distracted before having their position attacked

Question 57

Research by Tesser has shown that thinking about an attitude object tends to make the attitude

A) stronger
B) weaker
C) more extreme
D) less extreme

Question 58

Louisa hears a convicted felon outlining the arguments against capital punishment. Several weeks later, although she can no longer remember the source of the arguments, she finds that she is persuaded by some of his arguments. This is an example of

A) the sleeper effect
B) attitude inoculation
C) transfer of affect
D) counterarguing

Question 59

Which of the following has been offered as an explanation for the sleeper effect?

A) association
B) transfer of affect
C) differential decay
D) cognitive dissonance

Question 60

La Piere (1934) traveled the United States with a young Chinese student and his wife and they were treated hospitably by virtually all hotels and restaurants they visited. When contacted later by letter, ________ of the establishments said they would not serve Chinese patrons.

A) none
B) 20%
C) 55%
D) 92%

Question 61

Regan and Fazio (1977) studied attitude-behavior consistency at Cornell University during a severe housing shortage. They found that the students most willing to sign and distribute petitions about the housing crisis were

A) those who were low in self-esteem
B) those who had been assigned to live in temporary housing
C) those who had thought most about the issue
D) those whose attitudes were the least certain

Question 62

Our attitudes predict our behavior when

A) situational pressures are minimized
B) the attitude involved is specifically about the behavior
C) the attitude is salient
D) all of the above

Question 63

According to the reasoned action model, what should be the best predictor of Lisa's sexual behavior?

A) Lisa's parents' beliefs about the appropriateness of premarital sex
B) Lisa's beliefs about the probability of becoming pregnant
C) Lisa's own intention to engage in premarital sex
D) Lisa's religious beliefs

Question 64

Which is NOT a factor in the revised theory of planned behavior?

A) subjective social norms
B) attitude/behavior discrepancy
C) perceived control over outcomes
D) behavioral intention

Question 65

The "ABCs" of attitudes refers to the arousal, behavioral, and cognitive components.

Question 66

Overall evaluations toward attitude objects are often difficult to change.

Question 67

Attitudes make people come to decisions slowly because they have so much info to sift through.

Question 68

The concepts of reinforcement and association are most closely associated with the learning theory approach to attitudes.

Question 69

The position being advocated in a message is more important for persuasion than the details of the message.

Question 70

Transfer of affect works better for things we know well and does not work very well for things we are not familiar with.

Question 71

Balance theory is one example of an expectancy-value theory.

Question 72

Balance theory maintains that imbalanced configurations tend to change toward balanced ones.

Question 73

The least effort principle explains the most likely way for imbalanced attitude configurations to become balanced.

Question 74

Dissonance appears to be most consistently aroused when the attitudes and behaviors that are dissonant are not important to the self.

Question 75

After making decisions, we tend to increase our liking for what we choose and to decrease our liking for what we did not choose.

Question 76

People are most likely to feel dissonance when external justification for their behavior is insufficient.

Question 77

The less commitment someone feels toward a decision, the more dissonance they will feel.

Question 78

When we choose something that works out badly, dissonance is created even if we were unaware that the outcome could have been negative.

Question 79

Effort and choice are both factors that influence the amount of dissonance a person will feel.

Question 80

Self-perception theory applies to situations when our attitudes are clear-cut and unambiguous.