Question 1

On the campus of the University of Minnesota, there are signs near large expanses of grass that read, "Lie on me, play on me, but please don't walk on me." These signs are more likely to protect the grass than signs that read "Stay off the grass!" because the Minnesota signs

Accepted Answer

The signs with a more positive and inviting message, such as "Lie on me, play on me," are more likely to generate less psychological reactance compared to signs that simply forbid or command ("Stay off the grass!"). The use of a longer persuasive message or an emotional appeal does not necessarily make the message more effective in this case.

Question 2

Based on the principles of psychological reactance, what should a mother say to her daughter who wants to have her nose pierced?

Accepted Answer

Psychological reactance occurs when someone feels that their freedom or autonomy is being threatened or restricted. In this case, telling the daughter that she is not allowed to pierce her nose may actually increase her desire to do it. However, by presenting the daughter with a long-term consequence to her decision (i.e. having a hole in her nose when she's older), the mother is not restricting her freedom but rather providing her with more information to make an informed decision. This approach is more likely to be effective in reducing the daughter's desire to get her nose pierced.

Question 3

Briefly compare the classic Yale Attitude Change approach of Hovland and his colleagues with more contemporary approaches such as Petty and Cacioppo's (1986) elaboration likelihood model.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly compare the classic Yale Attitude Change...

Question 4

________ theory posits that when people feel their freedom threatened, they will work to restore it by performing the threatened behavior.

Accepted Answer

Reactance theory suggests that people will act to restore their sense of freedom when it is threatened. This can lead to increased motivation to perform the behavior that is being restricted or discouraged. This theory has applications in areas such as persuasive messaging and advertising, where attempts to restrict certain behaviors may actually lead to increased interest or engagement in those behaviors.

Question 5

You work for an advertising agency that has just acquired the account for a new software product.Your goal, of course, is to design a television and print campaign to persuade your audience to hold positive attitudes toward the product-and to purchase the product.What factors would you think about in designing your persuasive ads?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You work for an advertising agency that...

Question 6

Social psychologists have long observed that attitudes do not always predict behaviors.When are attitudes most likely to predict spontaneous behaviors?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Social psychologists have long observed that attitudes...

Question 7

An attitude can exist at two levels: implicit and explicit.Define an attitude at each level and explain the distinctions between the two.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An attitude can exist at two levels:...

Question 8

Do fear-arousing messages work? A social psychologist would probably say, "It depends." It depends on what?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Do fear-arousing messages work? A social psychologist...

Question 9

Peer pressure is a form of persuasion which generally utilizes

Accepted Answer

Peer pressure typically involves emotional appeals, such as the desire to fit in with a group or fear of rejection or ridicule. While there may be some use of cognitive appeals or behavioral ploys, emotional appeals are the primary tactic used in peer pressure. Propaganda techniques would not be as effective in a peer pressure situation as they are typically employed in mass communication contexts.

Question 10

In the Yale Attitude Change approach, there are three components to attitude change.Identify and describe these three parts of the model.Then state the major criticism of this model.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the Yale Attitude Change approach, there...

Question 11

Describe when people are more likely to use the central route to persuasion, and when they are more likely to use the peripheral route.When people are using the central route, what will make an appeal more persuasive? When they are using the peripheral route, what will make an appeal more persuasive?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe when people are more likely to...

Question 12

In general, what is an attitude? Provide an example of an attitude toward some person or thing, and identify the affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of that attitude.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In general, what is an attitude? Provide...

Question 13

How can cognitive dissonance create attitude change? Why isn't it used on mass scales in advertising?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How can cognitive dissonance create attitude change?...

Question 14

You have observed that there is more litter around signs that say "$500 fine for littering" than around signs that say "Please keep our state clean." What social psychological theory would you use to explain this observation?

Accepted Answer

Reactance theory proposes that people may feel a threat to their freedom when they are presented with a message that constrains their behavior. In this case, the message of a $500 fine for littering may produce reactance in individuals, leading them to act in the opposite direction of what is being asked of them, such as littering more. The message "Please keep our state clean" does not present a threat to their freedom and is, therefore, less likely to produce reactance.

Question 15

Imagine you want to change someone's attitude on what car to purchase.Describe how you would form your arguments if you wanted to use central routes of persuasion.Then describe how you could form your arguments using peripheral routes of persuasion.Which type of persuasion would lead to long-lasting attitude change?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine you want to change someone's attitude...

Question 16

According to reactance theory, which of the following persuasion attempts will meet with the least resistance when a parent tries to convince his child to keep her room clean?

Accepted Answer

According to reactance theory, people are motivated to protect their freedom and choices. When a persuasive attempt threatens this freedom or choice, people are more likely to resist or react against it. Option A is the least threatening and most respectful among the given options. It presents a polite request without any force or threat and allows the child to exert control and make a decision. This way, the child is less likely to resist and more likely to comply with the request. Therefore, option A is the best choice.

Question 17

Imagine you are trying to convince someone to buy a computer of Brand X using what you know about the association between emotions and persuasion.Describe how you could create an advertisement or a store environment that would persuade individuals to buy your computer.More importantly, explain how your procedures would be persuading individuals at a psychological level.That is, how would individuals be processing your message that would lead to persuasion?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine you are trying to convince someone...

Question 18

Describe the theory of planned behavior as it relates to the power of attitudes to predict deliberative behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the theory of planned behavior as...

Question 19

Recall that researchers (Pennebaker & Sanders, 1976) placed one of two signs in the bathrooms on a college campus.One was a strong warning ("Do not write on these walls under any circumstances") and the other was a milder admonition ("Please don't write on these walls").Two weeks later, what were they likely to find in the bathrooms containing the strong warnings?

Accepted Answer

The strong warning likely triggered a reactance effect, leading to more defiant graffiti such as "Says Who?" and "What Are You Going to Do About This?" as people resist perceived threats to their freedom.

Question 20

Several programs have been designed to prevent teen smoking in which researchers used role-playing to help inoculate antismoking attitudes.The results of such programs are

Accepted Answer

The passage states that "several programs have been designed to prevent teen smoking in which researchers used role-playing to help inoculate antismoking attitudes" and the result was "these teens were less likely to start underage smoking." Therefore, option B is the correct choice. Option A is incorrect because the passage does not state that role-playing is ineffective against peer pressure. Option C is incorrect because the passage does not mention that the teens were likely to experience external justification for smoking. Option D is incorrect because the passage does not state that attitude inoculation only works for cognitively based attitudes.

Quiz 7: Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing Thoughts and Feelings