Deck 7: Persuasion

Question 1

All of the following are examples of persuasion, except

A) A television commercial for the iPhone.
B) A friend's argument for the iPhone over the Blackberry.
C) The user's guide for the iPhone.
D) A magazine advertisement for the iPhone.

Answer 1

The user's guide for the iPhone.

Question 2

You are going to be involved in a debate, but you are aware that some of your arguments are rather weak. What should you do during the debate?

A) Present your strong and weak arguments at a normal rate of speech.
B) Present your strong arguments at a fast rate of speech.
C) Present your weak arguments at a fast rate of speech.
D) Concentrate more on your appearance than your arguments.

Answer 2

Present your weak arguments at a fast rate of speech.

Question 3

When your communication is intended to influence someone's attitude, then you are utilizing

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) persuasion.
C) social comparison.
D) affirmations.

Answer 3

persuasion.

Question 4

If you are persuaded by the strength of the arguments in a message, you are using

A) peripheral route.
B) heuristic route.
C) cardinal route.
D) central route.

Question 5

Before she bought a dog, Barbara explored information on breeds, she visited several breeders, and then she evaluated the dogs' needs and what she had to offer. Barbara was using what type of route of persuasion?

A) central
B) peripheral
C) cardinal
D) heuristic

Question 6

Providing a list of product benefits, advertisers are using the

A) heuristic route of persuasion.
B) peripheral route of persuasion.
C) cardinal route of persuasion.
D) central route of persuasion.

Question 7

As he entered the Burger Shack, featuring 30 different types of burgers, Carlton selected the one featured on the front of the menu. Carlton used the _______ route of persuasion.

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

Question 8

If you are influenced by superficial characteristics and are not thinking carefully about the contents of the message, you are using

A) central route.
B) cardinal route.
C) systematic route.
D) peripheral route.

Question 9

After seeing her favourite television actor driving a Prius automobile, Barbara decided to purchase a Prius. Barbara was using what route of persuasion?

A) cardinal.
B) peripheral.
C) central.
D) systematic.

Question 10

Using celebrity endorsements for their product, advertisers are using the

A) peripheral route to persuasion.
B) central route to persuasion.
C) cardinal route to persuasion.
D) systematic route to persuasion.

Question 11

The model describing two distinct routes of persuasion, central and peripheral, is known as

A) elaboration likelihood model.
B) Big 5 persuasion model.
C) cardinal trait model.
D) routing model.

Question 12

According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion, the route one uses to form attitudes is based on the level of an individuals'

A) ability and motivation.
B) self-esteem.
C) elaboration.
D) goal.

Question 13

In the elaboration likelihood model, one selects a route to persuasion based on both the _____ to focus and the _____ to focus.

A) opportunity; motivation
B) ability; opportunity
C) option; desire
D) ability; motivation

Question 14

Needing to select a burger quickly, Cara selected the one featured on the front of the menu. Cara used the peripheral route of persuasion due to

A) limited time/focus.
B) attractive colors.
C) peer pressure.
D) dispositional factors.

Question 15

According to the elaboration likelihood model, distractions during persuasion encourage an individual to use which route to persuasion?

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

Question 16

Which of the following cues is not an influence in persuading someone with little or no motivation?

A) length of the message.
B) content of the message.
C) source of the message.
D) speed at which the message is delivered.

Question 17

If you are uninterested or uninvolved in the message, one could say you lack the

A) opportunity to focus.
B) ability to focus.
C) desire to focus.
D) motivation to focus.

Question 18

For longer lasting and more resistance to future persuasion efforts, you should change attitudes through

A) central route of persuasion.
B) cardinal route of persuasion.
C) peripheral route of persuasion.
D) heuristic route of persuasion.

Question 19

When a person is influenced by the strength of the arguments, that person is using the ___________ route to persuasion.

A) peripheral
B) likelihood
C) central
D) heuristic

Question 20

Madison wants to buy an MP3 player. She chooses a brand for which her favourite movie star does the advertisements. Madison is using which route to persuasion?

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

Question 21

Kayla is planning a trip to Hawaii. She reads hotel reviews on various travel websites before she books one. According to the elaboration likelihood model, what can we say about Kayla's motivation and ability to focus on searching for a hotel?

A) Her ability and motivation are high.
B) Her ability and motivation are average.
C) Her ability and motivation are low.
D) The elaboration likelihood model does not discuss ability and motivation.

Question 22

Jaden is trying to pick out a frozen meal in the grocery store. While he does so, his three-year-old son tugs on his leg and repeatedly screams, "Let's go home! Let's go home!" Which of the following frozen meals is Jaden most likely to pick?

A) A meal that he has seen endorsed by his favourite football star.
B) A meal that he has seen advertised as healthy and delicious.
C) A meal that has "healthy" in its title and that lists its nutritional benefits right on the front of the box.
D) He is likely to choose no meal.

Question 23

How has caffeine been found to impact the persuasion process?

A) A person who has ingested caffeine is LESS likely to be persuaded by the central route than someone who has not ingested caffeine.
B) A person who has ingested caffeine is JUST AS likely to be persuaded by the central route as someone who has not ingested caffeine.
C) A person who has ingested caffeine is MORE likely to be persuaded by the central route than someone who has not ingested caffeine.
D) This question has not yet been researched.

Question 24

Martin et al. (2005) found that when participants were given a drink containing caffeine and then read a counter-attitudinal message

A) their ability to focus was increased and they used central route processing of the message.
B) their ability to focus was decreased and they used central route processing of the message.
C) their ability to focus was increased and they used peripheral route processing of the message.
D) their ability to focus was decreased and they used peripheral route processing of the message.

Question 25

A person who has no motivation to focus on carefully processing messages is likely to rely on all of the following except

A) the source of the message.
B) the length of the message.
C) the content of the message.
D) the speed at which the message is delivered.

Question 26

What types of messages did Howard (1997) find are most persuasive to someone who is low in involvement with a message?

A) Catchy phrases
B) Familiar phrases
C) Intelligent phrases
D) Original phrases

Question 27

In their study on personal involvement and persuasion (Petty, Cacioppo & Goldman, 1981), what was found about participants who were not highly involved with the message?

A) They were more persuaded by weak arguments, especially when the speaker was not an expert.
B) They were more persuaded by strong arguments, regardless of speaker.
C) They were more persuaded by an expert speaker than by a strong argument.
D) None of these.

Question 28

In their study on personal involvement and persuasion (Petty, Cacioppo & Goldman, 1981), what was found about participants who were highly involved with the message?

A) They were more persuaded by strong arguments, regardless of speaker.
B) They were more persuaded by weak arguments, especially when the speaker was not an expert.
C) They were more persuaded by an expert speaker than by a strong argument.
D) None of these.

Question 29

Hafer et al. (1996) found that when a persuasive message is difficult to comprehend, people

A) were persuaded by strong arguments.
B) were persuaded by weak arguments.
C) were persuaded by the status of the person making the arguments.
D) were persuaded by the attractiveness of the person making the arguments.

Question 30

What is true of attitude change that is based on central route processing as compared to peripheral route processing?

A) It is developed faster.
B) It is longer lasting.
C) It is more resistant to future persuasion efforts.
D) Both b and c.

Question 31

Which of the following statements regarding central and peripheral routes to persuasion is false?

A) The peripheral and central routes are effective in different ways for different people.
B) The same cue can be processed either centrally or peripherally.
C) Messages that are high in personal relevance are processed peripherally rather than centrally.
D) Both the peripheral and central routes are effective at changing people's attitudes.

Question 32

When examining motivation to focus on a message and the influence on persuasion, researchers had two groups of participants, one with an incentive that encouraged a high involvement with the message, a desirable incentive, and another with a less desirable incentive. The researchers found that when the participants were exposed to phrases with identical meaning, but one phrase was more familiar than the other, those participants with

A) high involvement were more persuaded by literal, but non-familiar phrases.
B) high involvement were more persuaded by familiar phrases, than non-familiar phrases.
C) low involvement were more persuaded by literal, but non-familiar phrases.
D) low involvement were more persuaded by familiar phrases, than non-familiar phrases.

Question 33

Participants with low involvement with the message were more persuaded by familiar phrases, than by literal, but non-familiar phrases, demonstrating

A) participants with low involvement depended upon peripheral cues.
B) participants with low involvement depended upon central cues.
C) participants with high involvement depended upon peripheral cues.
D) participants with high involvement were more likely to utilize the peripheral route for persuasion.

Question 34

In research examining persuasion (Petty, et al., 1981), participants were asked to listen to a talk promoting the benefits of mandatory exams for all students before college graduation. The researchers were interested in the personal involvement of the participants and the influence of the expertise of the speaker and the strength of the article. The researchers found all of the following, except

A) those with low involvement were more influenced by the expertise of the speaker.
B) those with low involvement demonstrated peripheral processing of the talk.
C) those with high involvement were more influenced by the strength of the argument.
D) the strength of the argument represented the peripheral route of processing.

Question 35

Research on messages to promote recycling (Werner et al., 2004) examined the use of persuasive messages through three conditions; control condition, no message, validation condition, acknowledging any inconvenience and thanking those who comply, and the persuasion message about the importance of recycling. Which of the following statements is true?

A) The persuasion message was the only condition that increased recycling.
B) The validation message was the only condition that increased recycling.
C) Use of messages significantly increased recycling, including the control group.
D) The use of either validation or persuasion message increased recycling significantly.

Question 36

Communication that is designed to influence one's attitudes is known as _______.

Question 37

A person who is persuaded by strong arguments is using ____________ route processing.

Question 38

Jacob bought an expensive watch that he saw advertised in a magazine, but now can't understand why he made his purchase. Jacob seems to have used ____________ route processing.

Question 39

If you have high ability and motivation to process the message, you will likely use ____________ route processing.

Question 40

The length of a persuasive message, the source of the message and the speed at which a message is delivered are all examples of _____________ cues.

Question 41

Which of the following is not a factor about the person(s) who deliver a message that influences the persuasiveness?

A) proximity to you
B) attractiveness of source
C) similarity to you
D) credibility of source

Question 42

All of the following are factors that influence the effectiveness of persuasive messages, except the

A) audience receiving the message.
B) source delivering the message.
C) content of the message.
D) proximity of the source of the message.

Question 43

We are more persuaded when the source of the message is all of the following, except

A) competent.
B) trustworthy.
C) credible.
D) celebrity.

Question 44

You would be more likely persuaded to buy tennis shoes recommended by

A) your weekly tennis partner.
B) Serena Williams, the Wimbledon tennis champion.
C) the tennis pro from the club in the next town.
D) a sports commentator.

Question 45

An important factor in assessing credibility of the source of a message is

A) lack of ulterior motive.
B) proximity of source.
C) the case of the presentation of the message.
D) the length of the message

Question 46

We assess credibility based on all of the following factors, except

A) the frequency of the message.
B) comparison with credibility of previous sources.
C) people who argue unexpected positions.
D) proximity of source.

Question 47

Daniel couldn't remember the source of the warning about using cell phones at gas pumps but now, weeks after first hearing the message, the message is more persuasive. This is a phenomenon known as

A) source effect.
B) sleeper effect.
C) revitalized credibility.
D) credibility effect.

Question 48

An effective strategy for persuasion in the legal system is "stealing the thunder". This means

A) presenting a case with no hidden information.
B) positive information is presented by the opposing attorney.
C) information that may be negative is presented by the opposing attorney.
D) ignoring negative information.

Question 49

Messages that are too discrepant from our original attitudes tend to be refuted, and as a result, our attitudes

A) remain constant.
B) become more extreme over time.
C) conflict with our behaviours.
D) are challenged and eventually change.

Question 50

Which of the following is not a way in which the length of the message may influence persuasion?

A) Longer strong messages are more effective when processed centrally.
B) Long messages with weak or irrelevant messages are more effective when processed centrally.
C) Long messages that are weak and processed peripherally are less effective.
D) Short, strong and focused messages are more effective than long weak messages that are irrelevant.

Question 51

People tend to see evidence that supports their view as strong and more convincing and evidence that opposes their view as weak, resulting in

A) greater attitude extremes.
B) attitude constancy.
C) attitude consistency.
D) attitude conflict.

Question 52

What did Bruckner and Bearman (2005) find in research examining the relationship between virginity pledges and the occurrence of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs)?

A) People who made virginity pledges stayed virgins until they married.
B) People who made virginity pledges had sex earlier than those who did not make a pledge.
C) People who made virginity pledges had more sexual partners than those who did not make a pledge.
D) There was no difference in STD rates between the people who made virginity pledges and those who didn't.

Question 53

Cell phone users often reject research that suggests a link between cell phone use and brain cancer. Why?

A) The research findings are biased.
B) People tend to ignore evidence that is discrepant with their attitudes.
C) People don't understand the findings from the studies.
D) The research findings are inconsistent.

Question 54

Which of the following factors about the audience does not influence the effectiveness of persuasive messages?

A) age
B) gender
C) personality traits
D) size of audience

Question 55

All of the following are explanations as to why late adolescents and early adult years are most responsive to persuasive messages, except

A) college students have less stable attitudes.
B) older adults show a preference for messages focused on meaningful goals; younger adults show no preference.
C) middle-aged adults are confident of their own knowledge and correctness.
D) college students have a stronger tendency to comply with authority.

Question 56

Which of the following is false regarding the impact of gender on strategies to influence others?

A) Men tend to use direct and assertive strategies of influence.
B) Women tend to use indirect and less assertive strategies of influence.
C) Women report using direct and assertive strategies, but actually tend to use submissive strategies.
D) There are no gender differences in influence.

Question 57

People who are high in need for cognition are more persuaded by

A) heuristic route of processing.
B) cardinal route of processing.
C) peripheral route of processing.
D) central route of processing.

Question 58

People who are low in need for cognition are more influenced by all of the following factors, except

A) expertise of the speaker.
B) strong messages.
C) reaction of other people.
D) length of the message.

Question 59

In a study on the impact of self-monitoring and the influence of an image-based or an information-based persuasive message, Snyder & DeBono (1985) found

A) there was no difference based on self-monitoring.
B) high self-monitors prefer image ads.
C) high self-monitors prefer informational ads.
D) low self-monitors prefer image ads.

Question 60

Which of the following features of a source of a videotaped message is not persuasive?

A) An attractive person
B) Someone who is credible
C) An unlikable person
D) Someone who is similar to the audience

Question 61

Glen is choosing a new car. Of the following people, whose car-related opinion is Glen likely to find most persuasive?

A) President Barack Obama
B) Aaron, Glen's best friend
C) Cyndi, a world-famous supermodel
D) Leon, Glen's favourite professional basketball player

Question 62

Manny learns that the persuasive essay he has been reading was written by someone who shares his name and his birth date. Compared to someone who did not share these features with the essay writer, what is Manny likely to think of the persuasive essay?

A) Manny is likely to find it more persuasive.
B) Manny is likely to find it just as persuasive.
C) Manny is likely to find it less persuasive.
D) Sharing a name and birth date is not enough to impact persuasion, but further similarities would be.

Question 63

Sources who are "credible" are those who are

A) competent.
B) trustworthy.
C) attractive.
D) Both a and b.

Question 64

The CEO of Coca-Cola produces a statement that says he is highly impressed by Pepsi's new soft drink and will be drinking it himself. Would this be a persuasive endorsement of Pepsi's new drink?

A) Yes, because the CEO of Coca-Cola would seem very credible since he is arguing against his own self-interest.
B) Yes, because the CEO of Coca-Cola is very similar to his audience.
C) Maybe, depending on how attractive the CEO of Coca-Cola is.
D) No, because we are suspicious of a CEO who speaks out for a competitor's product.

Question 65

What is the sleeper effect?

A) The tendency for unattractive sources to seem more attractive over time.
B) The tendency for non-credible sources to become more persuasive over time.
C) The tendency for a drowsy source to seem highly credible.
D) The tendency for audience members to fall asleep when the message is too long.

Question 66

Why does the sleeper effect occur?

A) Because we tend to find long, detailed messages to be overwhelming.
B) Because we tend to remember speakers for a long period of time.
C) Because we tend to forget the content of a message within two to three weeks.
D) Because we tend to remember the message longer than we remember the source of that message.

Question 67

In research on persuasion in courtroom settings, when does "stealing the thunder" occur?

A) When there is no hidden information in the case.
B) When a lawyer volunteers the weaknesses in their own case.
C) When a lawyer presents the weaknesses in their opponent's case.
D) None of these.

Question 68

Which of the following statements about message length and persuasion is true?

A) Short, strong, focused messages are least effective when a person is processing it centrally.
B) Long messages are more effective than short ones if the message is particularly irrelevant.
C) Long messages are always more persuasive than short ones.
D) Long messages are more effective than short ones if the message is processed centrally.

Question 69

Jeremiah drinks three beers every night. Which of the following messages might be most effective at changing his attitude about drinking?

A) People should never drink.
B) Drinking three beers a day is good for the heart.
C) Drinking should be banned in America.
D) Alcohol consumption in moderation can be a healthy and effective way to release stress, but drinking heavily every night may cause more problems than it solves.

Question 70

Which of the following statements about virginity pledges is false?

A) Both people who make pledges and those who don't have sex prior to marriage.
B) People who make virginity pledges are more likely to use a condom when they first have sex than those who don't make a pledge.
C) People who make virginity pledges become sexually active later than those who don't make such a pledge.
D) There are no differences in STD rates between people who make pledges and those who don't.

Question 71

What does reading both sides of an issue typically lead to?

A) It makes people who are on the pro- side of the argument become even more extremely pro-.
B) It makes people who are on the pro- side of the argument become anti-.
C) It makes people who are on the anti- side of the argument become even more extremely anti-.
D) Both a and c.

Question 72

Which of the following people is most likely to be persuaded?

A) Charleen, a 20-year-old
B) Barbara, a 45-year-old
C) Donna, a 65-year-old
D) We cannot tell because age does not relate to ability to be persuaded.

Question 73

The tendency to change one's attitudes and behaviour to fit the situation is called

A) self-perception
B) self-monitoring
C) self-reliance
D) self-relevance

Question 74

Which of the following is true of people who are high in need for cognition?

A) They are more likely to provide evaluative thoughts when looking at new things.
B) They are less likely to give no opinion responses on surveys.
C) They are more persuaded by strong messages.
D) All of these.

Question 75

Sahara is low in need for cognition. Which of the following would be least likely to persuade her?

A) The favourable response of the audience to the speaker
B) The expertise of the speaker
C) The strength of the speech
D) The attractiveness of the speaker

Question 76

Juan likes to conserve his mental resources. He can be described as

A) low in need for cognition.
B) high in self-monitoring.
C) high in need for evaluating.
D) low in self-perception.

Question 77

Leiberman & Chaiken (1992) gave coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers a report on a fictitious disease that reportedly had a link to drinking coffee. The report was either a strong report (medical research suggesting a strong link), or a weak report (including research that disproved the link). The researchers found that the coffee drinkers were less convinced by either of the reports, suggesting all of the following, except

A) the information was more relevant to the coffee drinkers.
B) drinking coffee makes you less persuaded by messages about coffee.
C) the information was more threatening to the coffee drinkers than the non-coffee drinkers.
D) coffee drinkers may have processed the message in a much more defensive way.

Question 78

All of the following are examples of sources of persuasion, except

A) person giving a speech in support of a political candidate.
B) an actor endorsing a product.
C) a newspaper ad for a given product.
D) a spokesperson for a given product.

Question 79

Sources who are most persuasive are also most

A) attractive.
B) accessible.
C) familiar.
D) near to us.

Question 80

When evaluating a source on a television advertisement as opposed to a newspaper ad, it is more likely on the television ad that the source is

A) familiar.
B) accessible.
C) likable.
D) male.