Question 1

In March of 1964, Kitty Genovese was the victim of a brutal assault that led to her death in the entryway of her apartment complex. Police reports indicate that out of the 38 people who observed the attack happening, __________ called 911 to request assistance.

Accepted Answer

According to the given information, out of the 38 people who observed the attack happening, none of them called 911 to request assistance.

Question 2

Which of the following was a finding in the classic study by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959)?

Accepted Answer

Festinger and Carlsmith's (1959) study on cognitive dissonance found that participants who were paid $1 to lie about a boring task found the task more interesting than those who were paid $20. This is because those paid less experienced more cognitive dissonance and thus had to convince themselves the task was more interesting to justify their actions.

Question 3

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

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person experiences psychological discomfort or tension caused by holding two opposing beliefs or values. In this scenario, reading the warning label on the cigarettes and continuing to smoke despite knowing the harmful effects is an example of cognitive dissonance. Option C indicates that Luis is experiencing this as he acknowledges knowing the harmful nature of smoking but is struggling to stop. Options A and B may indicate rationalization or denial, while option D is an outright dismissal of the factual information.

Question 4

Betty is a smoker. She realizes that smoking is bad for her: however, she also feels being overweight is equally bad, and smoking helps her keep her weight down, so she chooses to continue. Betty is engaging in the reduction of __________

Accepted Answer

Betty is experiencing cognitive dissonance because she holds two conflicting beliefs: knowing smoking is bad for her health but also believing it helps control her weight. To reduce this discomfort, she justifies her smoking as a means to manage her weight, thus reducing the cognitive dissonance.

Question 5

Suppose you were running for student government president. A key issue is whether to raise parking fees to fund a badly needed new parking lot. Your opponent doesn't agree with your opinion. You want to persuade highly intelligent college students to vote for you. When presenting your campaign speech you should __________

Accepted Answer

It is important to present both sides of the issue and show that you have considered all options. This demonstrates that you are thoughtful and responsible, which will appeal to intelligent college students. It is not necessary to make fun of your opponent's view, as this may turn off potential voters who support your opponent. Emphasizing the facts and presenting your opinion in a clear and respectful manner is the best way to persuade others to vote for you.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Persuasion refers to the process of using social influence to change other people's attitudes and behaviors. This involves presenting information or arguments that are intended to convince others to adopt a certain viewpoint or engage in a particular behavior. Persuasion can be influenced by a number of factors including the credibility of the source, the persuasiveness of the message, and the characteristics of the person being persuaded.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between two beliefs or attitudes. In this case, the person believes that reality TV is for morons but also enjoys watching American Idol, which is a reality TV show. This conflict creates cognitive dissonance. The other options do not involve a conflict between beliefs or attitudes.

Question 8

Sally and Susan just bought the exact same dress. Sally bought it on sale for 50% off. Susan paid the full price of $140. According to cognitive dissonance theory, what is the likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, when people experience inconsistency between their beliefs or attitudes and their behavior, they may feel discomfort or dissonance. In this case, Susan paid full price while Sally got a discount, which creates a dissonance. In order to reduce this dissonance, Susan may justify her higher price by convincing herself that the dress is of better quality, more fashionable or more suited to her needs. Therefore, in justifying her purchase, she may end up liking her dress more than Sally does.

Question 9

__________ is a deliberate attempt to influence the attitudes and/or the behavior of another person.

Accepted Answer

Persuasion is a deliberate attempt to influence the attitudes and/or the behavior of another person through the use of various communication techniques. It involves convincing, motivating, or stimulating a person to adopt a certain point of view or to take a specific action. Other options like Cognitive dissonance describe the mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs or values, Argument is a form of communication that aims to persuade or influence others, but it does not necessarily involve deliberate intent, and Coercion involves using force or threat to make someone do something against their will.

Question 10

What is the relationship between expertise and persuasion?

Accepted Answer

Greater expertise has been shown to lead to greater persuasion, as individuals who are perceived as knowledgeable and credible on a given topic are more likely to convince others to adopt their point of view. However, it should be noted that there may be a threshold beyond which additional expertise does not increase persuasion, and that other factors (such as the communicator's likability or perceived trustworthiness) can also play a role.

Question 11

Which communicator would likely be the most persuasive?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that attractiveness combined with expertise can make a communicator more persuasive. Therefore, an attractive person who is also an expert would likely be the most persuasive.

Question 12

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance occurs when two beliefs or behaviors contradict each other, causing discomfort or tension. In option A, the belief that smoking is bad for health contradicts the behavior of loving to smoke, resulting in cognitive dissonance. Option B shows consistency between belief and behavior, option C only presents a piece of information that could be interpreted in different ways, and option D does not necessarily create a contradiction between beliefs and behaviors.

Question 13

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

This scenario creates dissonance because the belief that pink shirts are effeminate clashes with the fact that Hulk Hogan, a traditionally masculine figure, wears pink shirts.

Question 14

Credibility, attractiveness, and likability all relate to which factor of persuasion?

Accepted Answer

Credibility, attractiveness, and likability all relate to the source of persuasion, which includes the perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and likability of the person or group delivering the message.

Question 15

The four elements of __________ are the source, the audience, the message and the medium.

Accepted Answer

The four elements mentioned in the question are the key components of persuasion - the process of attempting to change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs, values or behaviors. Compliance, conversion and conformity are related concepts, but they refer to slightly different outcomes of persuasion.

Question 16

Based on what the research indicates about effective persuasion, which of the following messages should be most effective in getting college students who smoke to change their behavior?

Accepted Answer

Effective persuasion often involves providing practical solutions or support for behavior change. Option C offers a constructive resource for students wishing to quit smoking, aligning with strategies known to be effective in persuasion by focusing on positive support and actionable steps.

Question 17

Dr. Cirillo divided her first-period class into two groups. One group had to read 20 pages in a boring psychology text but would get 2 extra points on the next test. The other group 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 answer of Dr. Cirillo divided her first-period class into...

Question 18

You've always disliked a particular coworker who strikes you as dishonest, but he is nice to you and does you favors, so you become friendly with him despite your miivings. One day you learn that he stole personal items from your desk. You now decide to discontinue the friendship. Your negative attitude toward this coworker is strengthened through __________

Accepted Answer

The decision to discontinue the friendship after learning about the theft is an example of reducing cognitive dissonance, which occurs when someone changes their attitudes or behaviors to resolve inconsistencies between their beliefs and actions.

Question 19

The World-Will-End-on-June-7 group got together on June 7 to pray as the world ended. The next day the world did not end. The leader of the group said, "Our prayers saved the world." What process was responsible for the attitude change?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of cognitive dissonance, where the leader's attitude and belief system did not match the reality of the situation. In order to reduce the discomfort of this inconsistency, the leader changed their attitude and attributed the lack of the world ending to their group's prayers, rather than admitting that their prediction was incorrect.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT one of the four elements of persuasion?

Accepted Answer

The four elements of persuasion are the source (who is delivering the message), the message (what is being said), the medium (how the message is being delivered), and the audience (who is receiving the message). There is no element called "the behavior" in the traditional definition of persuasive communication.

Quiz 16: Social Psychology

In March of 1964, Kitty Genovese was the victim of a brutal assault that led to her death in the entryway of her apartment complex. Police reports indicate that out of the 38 people who observed the attack happening, __________ called 911 to request assistance.

Which of the following was a finding in the classic study by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) ?

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?

Betty is a smoker. She realizes that smoking is bad for her: however, she also feels being overweight is equally bad, and smoking helps her keep her weight down, so she chooses to continue. Betty is engaging in the reduction of __________

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

Which of the following is an example of cognitive dissonance?

Sally and Susan just bought the exact same dress. Sally bought it on sale for 50% off. Susan paid the full price of $140. According to cognitive dissonance theory, what is the likely outcome?

__________ is a deliberate attempt to influence the attitudes and/or the behavior of another person.

What is the relationship between expertise and persuasion?

Which communicator would likely be the most persuasive?

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Credibility, attractiveness, and likability all relate to which factor of persuasion?

The four elements of __________ are the source, the audience, the message and the medium.

Based on what the research indicates about effective persuasion, which of the following messages should be most effective in getting college students who smoke to change their behavior?

The World-Will-End-on-June-7 group got together on June 7 to pray as the world ended. The next day the world did not end. The leader of the group said, "Our prayers saved the world." What process was responsible for the attitude change?

Which of the following is NOT one of the four elements of persuasion?