Question 1

Dr. Cirillo divided her first-period class into two groups. Group one had to read 20 pages in a boring psychology text but would get 2 extra points on the next test. Group two also read 20 pages but were given 25 points added to the next test. The class members were then asked to tell the second-period class how interesting the book was. According to the results of the Festinger and Carlsmith study, what predictions could one make about the remarks of the first-period class?

Accepted Answer

The Festinger and Carlsmith study on cognitive dissonance suggests that individuals who receive insufficient justification or reward (like Group one, which only received 2 extra points) for an action are more likely to change their attitudes or beliefs about the action to reduce dissonance. Therefore, Group one is more likely to say the pages were interesting to justify the effort for little reward. Group two, which received a significant reward (25 points), does not need to change their attitude about the reading to justify their action, so they might still say the pages were boring.

Question 2

In Festinger and Carlsmith's (1959) classic study on cognitive dissonance, participants who were paid $20 for doing a boring task, in contrast to those who were paid $1 for doing the same task, ________.

Accepted Answer

Festinger and Carlsmith found that participants who were paid $1 for the boring task experienced more cognitive dissonance, which led them to believe that the task must be interesting or enjoyable in order to justify the effort they put into it. As a result, they reported liking the task more than the participants who were paid $20 for the same task, because the $20 payment provided a sufficient external justification for the effort they put in.

Question 3

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between our beliefs and behaviors or between two beliefs. In option A, the belief that smoking is bad for health conflicts with the behavior of loving to smoke, causing cognitive dissonance. The other options do not involve conflicting beliefs or behavior.

Question 4

Central route is to peripheral route as ________.

Accepted Answer

Central route refers to the careful and thoughtful processing of a message, while peripheral route refers to the superficial and less thoughtful processing of a message. Therefore, option A correctly pairs careful (central route) with superficial (peripheral route).

Question 5

A local car insurance company advertises their products with television commercials. During those spots, there are flashy lights, attractive dancers wearing skin-tight outfits, and local celebrities talking about how they have that company's insurance. The advertisement does not, however, mention any of the features or costs associated with the product. This company is attempting to earn customers through which path of processing?

Accepted Answer

The local car insurance company is attempting to earn customers through the peripheral route of processing, which focuses on superficial cues like flashy lights, attractive dancers, and local celebrity endorsements, rather than on the features or costs associated with the product.

Question 6

Which one of the following activities will NOT reduce cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Continuing the behavior in spite of the conflicting thoughts will not reduce cognitive dissonance because it maintains the inconsistency between behavior and attitude/thoughts. The other options all involve some type of cognitive restructuring or attitude/behavioral alignment that reduces the inconsistency and resulting discomfort of cognitive dissonance.

Question 7

Which communicator would likely be the most persuasive?

Accepted Answer

Generally, an attractive person who is also an expert is more likely to be perceived as persuasive compared to someone who is less attractive or less of an expert. This is because people tend to give preference to physically attractive individuals and are more likely to trust someone who is knowledgeable in their field.

Question 8

Due to the mere exposure effect, people often develop ________ attitudes about something through the ________ route.

Accepted Answer

The mere exposure effect refers to the phenomenon that people tend to develop more positive attitudes towards things they are exposed to more frequently. This effect operates primarily through the peripheral route of persuasion, meaning that people are influenced by superficial cues (such as the familiarity of the stimulus) rather than by the actual content of the message. Therefore, the correct answer is C, positive attitudes developing through the peripheral route.

Question 9

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

The statement "Pink shirts are effeminate" clashes with the fact that the masculine action hero Bruce Willis wears pink shirts, which creates cognitive dissonance. The other statements do not present conflicting beliefs.

Question 10

Persuasion is defined as ________.

Accepted Answer

Persuasion is an active attempt to change another person's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors through communication. Option A is an example of cognitive dissonance, which is not the definition of persuasion. Option B is similar to persuasion but is not inclusive of changing behaviors. Option D refers to attitudes, which are part of persuasion but not a complete definition.

Question 11

What is the relationship between expertise and persuasion?

Accepted Answer

Greater expertise is often seen as credible and trustworthy, making them more effective in persuading others. They are able to provide more relevant and detailed information to support their arguments, making their position more convincing to others.

Question 12

The advice to "keep it simple stupid" suggests that political and other messages should be simple so that the audience will understand the content without distractions. This is an example of which type of processing suggested by the elaboration likelihood model?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The advice to "keep it simple stupid"...

Question 13

Carl tries to justify cheating on his taxes by saying "The government can always print more money." Carl's statement is most consistent with the dissonance reduction technique of________.

Accepted Answer

Carl's statement disregards the negative consequences of cheating on taxes by suggesting that the government can offset his actions by printing more money, thus reducing the perceived harm or impact of his actions.

Question 14

Luis picks up a pack of cigarettes and reads, "Cigarette smoking is harmful to your health." Which one of the following statements leads one to believe Luis is actually having cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Option C suggests that Luis has conflicting thoughts about smoking and its detrimental effects on health, which is the basis of cognitive dissonance. The other options do not necessarily indicate cognitive dissonance as they either suggest denial or lack of awareness of the harmful effects of smoking.

Question 15

When George Bush said, "Everything in Iraq is going as planned. Trust me, I am the president," he was using what form of the elaboration likelihood model?

Accepted Answer

Peripheral route processing is when people are swayed by superficial or external factors rather than logical or systematic arguments. In this case, George Bush's statement was meant to use his authority as the president to convince people that everything was going according to plan, rather than presenting logical arguments to support his claim.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

The belief that reality TV is for morons conflicts with the behavior of watching American Idol, which is a reality TV show. This is an example of cognitive dissonance. The other options do not involve conflicting beliefs or behaviors.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about persuasion is correct?

Accepted Answer

People who are perceived as honest are generally more persuasive because their perceived integrity and trustworthiness enhance their credibility, making their arguments more convincing to the audience.

Question 18

An example of an indirect strategy designed to reduce cognitive dissonance would be ________.

Accepted Answer

Indirect strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance often involve self-affirmation in areas unrelated to the dissonance. By enhancing their self-image in other domains, individuals can alleviate the discomfort associated with cognitive dissonance without directly addressing the conflicting attitudes or behaviors.

Question 19

What process describes the use of social influence to cause other people to change their attitudes and behavior?

Accepted Answer

Persuasion involves using social influence to change other people's attitudes and behaviors. This can involve using various tactics, such as presenting logical arguments, appealing to emotions, and providing social proof. Enticement refers to offering rewards or incentives to motivate someone to do something, while conversion refers to a complete change in someone's beliefs or values. Affectance is not a commonly used term in psychology or social influence.

Question 20

Social cognitive neuroscience __________.

Accepted Answer

Social cognitive neuroscience aims to understand social cognition by identifying the mental events that underlie it and their neural basis. This involves studying how psychological processes relate to physiological processes in the brain. It is an active area of research and has made significant contributions to our understanding of social cognition.

Quiz 13: Social Psychology: Meeting of the Minds

In Festinger and Carlsmith's (1959) classic study on cognitive dissonance, participants who were paid $20 for doing a boring task, in contrast to those who were paid $1 for doing the same task, ________.

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Central route is to peripheral route as ________.

Which one of the following activities will NOT reduce cognitive dissonance?

Which communicator would likely be the most persuasive?

Due to the mere exposure effect, people often develop attitudes about something through the route.

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Persuasion is defined as ________.

What is the relationship between expertise and persuasion?

The advice to "keep it simple stupid" suggests that political and other messages should be simple so that the audience will understand the content without distractions. This is an example of which type of processing suggested by the elaboration likelihood model?

Carl tries to justify cheating on his taxes by saying "The government can always print more money." Carl's statement is most consistent with the dissonance reduction technique of________.

Luis picks up a pack of cigarettes and reads, "Cigarette smoking is harmful to your health." Which one of the following statements leads one to believe Luis is actually having cognitive dissonance?

When George Bush said, "Everything in Iraq is going as planned. Trust me, I am the president," he was using what form of the elaboration likelihood model?

Which of the following is an example of cognitive dissonance?

Which of the following statements about persuasion is correct?

An example of an indirect strategy designed to reduce cognitive dissonance would be ________.

What process describes the use of social influence to cause other people to change their attitudes and behavior?

Social cognitive neuroscience __________.