Question 1

A message presenting only one side of an issue will be more effective than a two-sided communication if

Accepted Answer

DA one-sided message tends to be more effective when the audience already agrees with the position being advocated and is unlikely to be exposed to the opposing viewpoint (C). It is also more effective when the audience is knowledgeable about the topic and aware of the counterarguments, as it reinforces their existing beliefs without introducing confusion or doubt (D).

Question 2

Persuasion research has revealed a number of

Accepted Answer

Persuasion research often uncovers complex interaction effects, where multiple variables interact in intricate ways to influence outcomes, rather than simple or easily predictable effects.

Question 3

In an election campaign debate, Joanne makes her statement to the audience during the first week of campaigning. Her opponent Deborah presents her campaign the next week. The election is the next day following Deborah's statement. If both messages were persuasive and the debate was the deciding factor, the election results should show the influence of

Accepted Answer

The recency effect suggests that the most recently presented information is most likely to be remembered and thus have a greater influence on decision-making. Since Deborah presents her campaign right before the election, her message would likely have a stronger impact due to its recency.

Question 4

According to the text, health warnings on cigarette ads are effective because they

Accepted Answer

The text mentions that health warnings on cigarette ads are effective because they include graphic labels depicting the hazards of smoking.

Question 5

Nazi propaganda was effective because it

Accepted Answer

Nazi propaganda was effective for many reasons, including its use of vivid imagery, emotional appeals that often played on people's fears, and the specific instructions it provided on how to deal with the supposed "Jewish threat." All of these factors contributed to the success of Nazi propaganda in influencing public opinion and garnering support for the Nazi Party and its policies.

Question 6

A highly discrepant message is least likely to be persuasive if the audience

Accepted Answer

Highly discrepant messages are less likely to be persuasive to an audience that is deeply involved in the issue because such an audience likely has strong pre-existing opinions or beliefs, making them resistant to messages that greatly differ from their views.

Question 7

In experiments where people succeed on a guessing task half the time and fail half the time, people perceive those whose successes come early as

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the "first impression effect" and suggests that people perceive those who have early success as more competent and able than those who have early failures. This perception persists even when both individuals have the same overall success rate.

Question 8

A group of concerned students who drive to school each day came to a meeting about the possibility of more parking restrictions on campus. As a representative of the university administration in favour of the restrictions, you ought to

Accepted Answer

As a representative of the university administration, it is important to present both sides of the issue and provide all the information to the concerned students. This will not only show transparency but also help the students make an informed decision or come to a consensus. Presenting only strong arguments in favour of the new restrictions or presenting the most extreme version of the plan may not be helpful and could create more opposition among the students. An emotional appeal could also be seen as manipulative and not based on facts.

Question 9

If you are a credible authority and your audience isn't much concerned with your issue, chances are that you

Accepted Answer

As a credible authority, you have built trust and credibility with your audience. This can increase your chances of persuading them even if they were not initially interested in the issue. However, the level of persuasion may vary based on the audience's level of interest or engagement with the issue.

Question 10

Communicators with little credibility are most effective in changing the opinions of other people when they advocate positions that

Accepted Answer

Communicators with little credibility are most effective in changing opinions when they advocate positions that differ only moderately from those of the audience. This is because extreme positions might be dismissed outright due to the communicator's low credibility, whereas moderate differences can be more persuasive and seem more reasonable, leading to greater openness to change.

Question 11

Using transcripts from an actual civil trial, Miller and Campbell found that when arguments by both the plaintiff and defence were presented together, opinions of mock jurors reflected the ____________. When the testimony of the plaintiff and defence were presented a week apart, mock jurors were more likely to form their opinions according to the ______________.

Accepted Answer

When the arguments by both the plaintiff and defence were presented together, mock jurors reflected the primacy effect, where they are more likely to remember and be influenced by the first presented information. When the testimony of the plaintiff and defence were presented a week apart, mock jurors were more likely to form their opinions according to the recency effect, where they are more likely to remember and be influenced by the last presented information. Therefore, the best choice is C, where the primacy effect is associated with presenting arguments together and the recency effect is associated with presenting testimony a week apart.

Question 12

In the primacy effect, information presented _________ usually has the ________ influence.

Accepted Answer

In the primacy effect, the information presented first usually has the most influence. This is because people tend to remember information that they encounter first more easily than information that they encounter later.

Question 13

Which of the following statements best summarizes the effect of a highly discrepant message on an audience that disagrees with it?

Accepted Answer

Discrepancy and credibility interact, meaning that a highly discrepant message is more likely to be accepted if the communicator is perceived as credible. If the communicator lacks credibility, the audience is more likely to reject the message.

Question 14

Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

The effect of discrepancy depends on the credibility of the communicator. Messages that are too discrepant from the audience's views are more likely to be rejected, but if the communicator is perceived as highly credible, this effect can be mitigated.

Question 15

Aronson, Turner, and Carlsmith found that only a _____________ source elicited considerable opinion change when advocating a position greatly discrepant from the recipient's.

Accepted Answer

The Aronson, Turner, and Carlsmith study showed that a credible source was most effective in eliciting opinion change when advocating for a position that was greatly discrepant from the recipient's initial attitude.

Question 16

If you are a credible authority and your audience isn't much concerned with your issue, you ought to

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you are a credible authority and...

Question 17

People who disagree with conclusions drawn by a newscaster rate the newscaster as being more

Accepted Answer

People who disagree with a newscaster's conclusions often perceive them as biased, inaccurate, and untrustworthy, reflecting a general negative evaluation.

Question 18

In the recency effect, the information presented __________ has the _________ influence.

Accepted Answer

In the recency effect, the information presented last has the most influence. This is because it is the most recent information that is still fresh in the person's mind.

Question 19

In an election campaign debate, Kelly makes her statement to the audience first and is immediately followed by her opponent, Stuart. The election is not held until two weeks later. If both messages were persuasive and the debate was the deciding factor, the election results should show the influence of

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect is the tendency for people to remember the first pieces of information they receive better than subsequent pieces of information. In an election campaign debate, Kelly's statement would be the first piece of information received and therefore more likely to be remembered by voters. Therefore, if the debate was the deciding factor in the election, the election results would show the influence of the primacy effect.

Question 20

If your audience includes those with or those who will be exposed to opposing views, you should _______________ to be persuasive.

Accepted Answer

Offering a two-sided appeal acknowledges the existence of opposing views and presents both perspectives before providing a conclusion. This approach allows the audience to evaluate both sides and come to their own conclusion, rather than simply being told what to believe. It shows that the speaker has considered various perspectives, and therefore enhances their credibility and persuasiveness.

Quiz 5: Persuasion