Question 1

As you're shopping for a car,the car salesperson is attempting many different persuasion tactics.You've been expecting these tactics,likely based on your stereotypes of car salespeople.What is likely,due to your expectations

Accepted Answer

When we have preconceived notions or expectations about a situation, we tend to be forewarned about it. Therefore, being aware of the persuasion tactics used by car salespeople would make us less likely to be persuaded by them.

Question 2

What is cognitive dissonance

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance is a state of tension that arises when a person holds two or more cognitions that are inconsistent with each other. For example, if someone believes that regular exercise is important for health, but they struggle to motivate themselves to exercise, cognitive dissonance can occur. The individual may experience discomfort or psychological tension as they try to reconcile these conflicting beliefs. This can sometimes lead to changes in attitudes or behavior in order to reduce the dissonance.

Question 3

If you are trying to persuade others to your point of view on AIDS research,what would be an effective strategy

Accepted Answer

A two-sided argument presents both sides of the issue and then offers a solution, which can increase the credibility of the speaker and make their argument more persuasive. Arouse fear is also effective because it can motivate people to take action. However, it should be balanced with a solution that offers hope or a way to solve the problem.

Question 4

What is a cognitive dissonance explanation for results found by Festinger and Carlsmith

Accepted Answer

Festinger and Carlsmith's experiment found that when participants were offered $1 to lie about a task they found boring, they experienced cognitive dissonance because they had insufficient justification for their behavior. However, when participants were offered $20 to lie, they had sufficient justification for their behavior, which reduced their cognitive dissonance. This is known as the justification of effort. Therefore, option B is the best choice, as it correctly identifies that participants paid $20 to lie had sufficient justification for their behavior and experienced little dissonance.

Question 5

Travis saw a television advertisement in which a new long-distance telephone service provider showed a vignette of pleasant family scenes while some relaxing music played in the background.Later,when Travis is asked about this particular long-distance service provider,he has a positive attitude toward its service,even though he actually uses a different long-distance service.What influenced Travis's attitude

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning influenced Travis's attitude. The advertisement associated the long-distance service with positive emotions through pleasant family scenes and relaxing music, leading to a positive attitude towards the service without direct experience.

Question 6

A marketing firm has been hired to develop new advertisements for a campaign to persuade people to drive more carefully.The firm is considering two different television commercials.One commercial shows graphic accidents and statements from actual accident victims; the other shows controlled collisions with plastic crash dummies.Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion,what should you predict

Accepted Answer

Research in persuasion suggests that messages that evoke a moderate level of fear can be more effective in changing attitudes or behaviors, as they grab attention and highlight the severity of consequences. The commercial with graphic accidents is likely to evoke more fear and, assuming it also provides a clear way to prevent the feared outcome (e.g., driving more carefully), it should be more effective than the one with crash dummies, which might not evoke as strong an emotional response.

Question 7

Simply repeating a message causes it to be perceived as more true.What is this finding called

Accepted Answer

The finding that simply repeating a message results in it being perceived as more true is called the exposure effect.

Question 8

In which situation would it be most persuasive to use an appeal to fear

Accepted Answer

The answer of In which situation would it be most...

Question 9

Mort is trying to convince his parents that he should go to a university in another province,rather than the local university.He has made five strong points that support his position,but his parents are not convinced.Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion,what should Mort do

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mort is trying to convince his parents...

Question 10

When advertisers use extremely attractive models to demonstrate their products,what are they using to change consumers' attitudes

Accepted Answer

The answer of When advertisers use extremely attractive models to...

Question 11

A recent anti-smoking campaign on television showed graphic images of the internal effects of smoking.Twelve-year-old Kandice has seen a number of these ads,and they made her feel nauseated.Now she finds that she has developed an unfavourable attitude toward smoking.What does this example illustrate

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates classical conditioning, where Kandice has developed an unfavourable attitude towards smoking through the association of smoking with the unpleasant feeling of nausea induced by the graphic images in the ads.

Question 12

Samantha had not really thought much about who she would vote for in the election,but for the entire month before the election,she constantly heard messages saying: "Vote for Don Green.He's the best person for the job." On election day,after voting for Don Green,she told her friends that she believed he truly was the best candidate.What does this example illustrate

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the exposure effect, which refers to the phenomenon where repeated exposure to a stimulus (in this case, the message to vote for Don Green) increases liking or preference for that stimulus.

Question 13

Who is noted for developing the theory of cognitive dissonance

Accepted Answer

Leon Festinger is noted for developing the theory of cognitive dissonance which explains how people experience discomfort or tension when they hold two or more conflicting beliefs or ideas.

Question 14

When is fear arousal likely to be an effective persuasive tactic

Accepted Answer

Fear arousal is likely to be an effective persuasive tactic when the negative consequences are extremely unpleasant, probable, but avoidable. This is because the fear can motivate individuals to take actions that would help them avoid the negative consequences. When the negative consequences are perceived as unlikely and unavoidable, fear arousal would not be effective as individuals may feel helpless and hopeless. Familiarity with both sides of the issue and thinking the source's advice is reasonable would not necessarily make fear arousal more or less effective.

Question 15

In the study by Festinger and Carlsmith,which subjects exhibited the greatest attitude change

Accepted Answer

In the study by Festinger and Carlsmith, the subjects who were paid $1 for lying exhibited the greatest attitude change. This is because the cognitive dissonance they experienced was greater than the subjects who were paid $20. The subjects who were paid $20 were able to justify their lie using the high payment, while the subjects who were paid $1 had to change their attitudes to reduce the dissonance they experienced for lying for such a small amount.

Question 16

Rodney has an unfavourable attitude toward his astronomy professor.In explaining Rodney's attitude,what would be an operant conditioning factor

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning involves learning from the consequences of one's behavior. If Rodney has a history of punishment in dealing with his astronomy professor, such as receiving low grades or negative feedback, it could have contributed to his negative attitude towards the professor.

Question 17

If Matthew's mother praises his good sense every time he says that money is important,what is likely strengthening Matthew's attitude about money

Accepted Answer

Matthew's attitude about money is being strengthened through the use of positive reinforcement, which is a form of operant conditioning. His mother is praising his behavior (saying that money is important), which is increasing the likelihood of him repeating this behavior in the future.

Question 18

Matthew often hears his parents discussing the importance of making lots of money.Eventually,Matthew himself begins to value a high income.How was Matthew's attitude about money acquired

Accepted Answer

Matthew's attitude about money was acquired through observational learning, as he learned from his parents' discussions and behavior.

Question 19

Edith is making a class presentation in which she is trying to convince the other students that a proposed change in the requirements for an education degree will be beneficial in the long run.Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion,what will make Edith's arguments most persuasive

Accepted Answer

Presenting both advantages and disadvantages associated with the proposed change is the most persuasive strategy. This is because people are more likely to be persuaded when they perceive the message as balanced and when the speaker acknowledges the other side of the argument. By presenting both sides of the argument, Edith is acknowledging that there are drawbacks to the proposed change, but is also highlighting the benefits, which can make her argument more credible and persuasive.

Question 20

Glenda has a favourable attitude toward the independent candidate in the upcoming election because all her friends say they are planning to vote for him.They have all said he is the best person for the position.What influenced Glenda's attitude

Accepted Answer

Glenda's attitude is influenced by observational learning because she has observed her friends supporting the independent candidate and this has influenced her attitude towards the candidate. Classical conditioning and obedience are not applicable in this scenario. Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person experiences contradictory beliefs, and there is no indication that Glenda is experiencing this.

Quiz 13: A: Social Behaviour