Deck 14: Social Judgment Theory

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true about the latitude of noncommitment?

A) It consists of items that people find neither objectionable nor acceptable.
B) It mainly consists of ideas that people who fear commitment perceive as worthy of consideration.
C) It consists of ideas and opinions that do not define an individual's attitude.
D) It primarily consists of the opinions that are crossed out as unreasonable in surveys.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

________ is defined as a perceptual error whereby people judge messages that fall within their latitude of rejection as farther from their anchor than they really are.

A) Selection
B) Assimilation
C) Contrast
D) De-anchoring

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Most dramatic cases of attitude change, the most widespread and enduring, are those involving changes in:

A) reference groups with differing values.
B) interpersonal dyadic relationships with similar values.
C) cultural groups with similar values.
D) intense intrapersonal struggle.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Membership in a group with a known stand is an indication of a:

A) high ego-involvement.
B) low ego-involvement.
C) large latitude of noncommitment.
D) small latitude of rejection.

Question 5

________ is defined as the mistaken idea that everyone else is doing or thinking something that they aren't.

A) Fundamental attribution error
B) Self-fulfilling prophecy
C) Anticipated future interaction
D) Pluralistic ignorance

Question 6

High source credibility has the effect of:

A) strengthening the anchor point.
B) broadening the latitude of acceptance.
C) broadening the latitude of rejection.
D) None of the answers is correct.

Question 7

Steve is a member of Opportunity International, an organization that provides opportunities for people in chronic poverty through small business loans. This would suggest that he has a ________ on the issue of helping the poor.

A) high ego-involvement
B) low ego-involvement
C) large latitude of noncommitment
D) small latitude of rejection

Question 8

Social judgment theory has been criticized because:

A) Sherif's survey research was flawed.
B) it is a mechanistic approach to persuasion.
C) application of the theory raises ethical problems.
D) it is a mechanistic approach to persuasion and its application raises ethical problems.

Question 9

Sherif warns that because of the boomerang effect, ________.

A) persuasion is virtually impossible in reference groups
B) messages aimed to persuade the listeners may have an opposite effect
C) anchor points must be carefully avoided
D) the best strategy when addressing a person with low ego-involvement is to aim within the latitude of noncommitment

Question 10

Which of the following was stated as an ethical absolute by German philosopher Immanuel Kant?

A) disclosure of private information
B) categorical imperative
C) warranting value
D) uncertainty reduction

Question 11

In social judgment theory, an individual's stand is represented adequately as a point along a continuum.

Question 12

People who hold extreme opinions on either side of an issue almost always care deeply.

Question 13

Extreme positions and high ego-involvement go together.

Question 14

Since highly committed people tend to have large latitudes of rejection, any message that falls within that range will be perceived by them as more discrepant from their anchor than it really is.

Question 15

According to Muzafer Sherif, assimilation happens only when a message falls within the latitude of rejection and contrast takes place when a message falls within the latitude of acceptance.

Question 16

Judging how close or how far a message is from one's own anchored position is the first stage of attitude change.

Question 17

A boomerang effect is likely to happen when a persuader chooses to advocate a message that falls within another person's latitude of acceptance.

Question 18

The message that persuades the most is the one that is most discrepant from the listener's position yet falls within his or her latitude of acceptance or latitude of noncommitment.

Question 19

When dealing with highly ego-involved people, the only way to stimulate large-scale change is through a series of small, successive movements.

Question 20

Although social judgment theory is rich in practical application, it lacks an intuitive appeal.

Question 21

A person's ________ of acceptance, rejection, or noncommitment reflects the cognitive structure of opinions.

Question 22

People with high ________ on a particular issue likely see it as central or important to their life.

Question 23

________ is a perceptual distortion that leads to polarization of ideas, whereas ________ is the opposite error in judgment that takes place when a message falls within the latitude of acceptance.

Question 24

What general strategies should be utilized to persuade an audience that has high ego-involvement? How about a dogmatic audience?

Question 25

Sherif states that the most dramatic, widespread, and enduring cases of attitude change involve reference groups with differing values. Why would this be the case? Can you provide an example from personal experience?

Question 26

Describe the effect of source credibility on the process of making social judgments. What are the implications of this finding for persuasion?

Question 27

According to Sherif, persuasion is a two-step process. What does this mean?

Question 28

Have you or one of your acquaintances ever undergone a major-perhaps life-altering-change of mind or heart? How would social judgment theory account for such conversion experiences, which cause sudden, radical shifts in position?

Question 29

You and I have very different opinions on water conservation-I say, "Who cares, I'm entitled to water my lawn" and you say, "Endangered species are more important than green grass." According to Sherif, what should you do to help me change my mind?

Question 30

Griffin writes, "Even though Sherif crafted a cognitive theory, the mental processes he describes are automatic. He reduced interpersonal influence to the issue of the distance between the message and the hearer's position." What are the ramifications of this statement? Does free will have a place in this approach to persuasion? You may wish to refer to or draw on other theories to enhance your answer.

Question 31

Griffin writes that "the effects of high ego-involvement on perception may be similar to those of low cognitive complexity." What are the implications of this claim? What are the ramifications for those who are highly dedicated to causes, particularly in terms of their ability to communicate?

Question 32

How does Sherif's theory mirror elements of constructivism? Are person-centered messages that address a target's latitude of acceptance or rejection potentially more persuasive than "generic" appeals?