In a 1981 study by Petty, Cacioppo, and Goldman, students listened to a speech that supported the idea that seniors should have to pass a comprehensive exam before graduating. Some students group A) were told that comprehensive exams might be implemented at their school the following year. Others group B) were told that the exams wouldn't be implemented until well after they had graduated. Based on the theories of controlled and automatic responding, what would we expect each group of students to focus on?

Question

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According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) proposed by Petty and Cacioppo, when individuals are personally involved in the information (as Group A would be, given the immediacy of the exams' potential implementation), they are more likely to process the message through the central route, focusing on the quality of the arguments. Conversely, when individuals are less personally involved (as Group B, with the exams not affecting them directly), they are more likely to process the message through the peripheral route, focusing on cues such as the speaker's expertise.

In a 1981 Study by Petty, Cacioppo, and Goldman, Students