Eric does not really know how to answer the essay question about cognitive dissonance on his social psychology exam. He decides to write as many facts as he knows about the topic of attitudes in his bluebook, hoping that the professor will not read the exams too closely and will be impressed enough by the length of his essay to give him a good score. Eric is hoping to take advantage of

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eric is trying to use the peripheral route to persuasion by impressing the professor with the length of his essay, rather than the quality of the content. He is not attempting to change the professor's attitudes through sound reasoning or strong arguments, which would be indicative of the central route to persuasion. The sleeper effect and dissonance-related insufficient justification are not applicable in this scenario.

Eric Does Not Really Know How to Answer the Essay