Question 1

Deliberate efforts to change an attitude are referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Persuasion is the process of deliberately trying to change someone's attitude or behavior through communication and reasoning.

Question 2

Interest in persuasion can be traced back to:

Accepted Answer

Aristotle was the first to write about persuasion in his work "Rhetoric."

Question 3

One of the most impressive features of one of my professors is her ability to convince you of something. Aristotle referred to this ability as:

Accepted Answer

Aristotle referred to the art of persuasion as "rhetoric," which involves convincing others through effective communication.

Question 4

There is nothing better than listening to someone speak who actually moves you. Speakers who can emotionally move the listener have an incredible gift, I think. Aristotle referred to this ability as:

Accepted Answer

Aristotle referred to the emotional appeal used to persuade an audience as "pathos."

Question 5

I have an old friend who amazes me. She has the uncanny ability to convince me, through reasoning alone, that she is right and that I am wrong. The funny thing is that I know I am correct, but her reasoning is amazing. Aristotle referred to this ability as:

Accepted Answer

Aristotle referred to the use of reasoning and logical argument to persuade as "logos."

Question 6

Research indicates that a speaker is considered to be more persuasive if the speaker is, or appears to be _____.

Accepted Answer

A speaker is more persuasive if they are good looking, powerful, and credible, as these traits can enhance their influence and appeal to the audience.

Question 7

It is almost certain that people are more likely to curse and end the conversation rudely with a telemarketer than a salesperson at their door. Which one of the following explains why?

Accepted Answer

The channel of communication affects how people perceive and react to messages. Telemarketers use phone calls, which can feel intrusive and impersonal, leading to more negative reactions compared to face-to-face interactions with door-to-door salespeople.

Question 8

Factors that would increase the effectiveness of a message for persuasion include:

Accepted Answer

A match between the recipient's willingness and ability to think about the message increases effectiveness because it ensures the message is processed thoughtfully, leading to greater persuasion.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT an important factor in judging the persuasiveness of a message?

Accepted Answer

Elaboration refers to the extent to which a person thinks about the arguments in a message, rather than being a direct factor in judging persuasiveness.

Question 10

Psychologists have identified several components of persuasion, among them:

Accepted Answer

The key components of persuasion typically include the channel (medium of communication), the message (content being communicated), and the source (who is delivering the message).

Question 11

The authors of your textbook discuss how the message of a speaker can alter someone's attitude. Which of the following is true of the influence of message?

Accepted Answer

The influence of a message on someone's attitude can depend on the type of appeal, the delivery manner, and the use of fear, as each can significantly impact how the message is received and processed.

Question 12

It is much more likely that you will walk slowly through a department store if soft, soothing music is playing. By walking more slowly, you are more likely to stop and look and thus more likely to purchase. We can think of the playing of music as a way of persuading you to buy. Based on what was presented in the textbook, which of the following best applies to this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes how the environment or setting (context) influences behavior, as the soothing music in the store affects the pace at which customers walk, thereby increasing the likelihood of purchases.

Question 13

One method for countering the appeal of an opposing argument is called attitude _____. It involves building up the receiver's resistance to an appeal by presenting weak arguments for it or forewarning against it.

Accepted Answer

Attitude inoculation involves building up the receiver's resistance to an appeal by presenting weak arguments for it or forewarning against it.

Question 14

My sister is in sales. She will often tell a customer "I know the competitor will tell you that they offer the best prices. They do, but they also offer the lowest quality of product." She is using the persuasion technique of:

Accepted Answer

Attitude inoculation is a persuasion technique that involves exposing someone to a weakened version of a persuasive message in order to build up their resistance to it. In this case, the sister is using attitude inoculation by telling the customer that the competitor will offer the best prices, but that they also offer the lowest quality of product. This is a weakened version of the competitor's message, and it is designed to build up the customer's resistance to it.

Question 15

One example of a receiver characteristic would be

Accepted Answer

An individual who is high in need for cognition is a characteristic of the receiver, as it describes a trait of the person receiving the message.

Question 16

The two routes proposed by the ELM of persuasion are:

Accepted Answer

The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion proposes two routes: the central route, which involves careful and thoughtful consideration of the persuasive arguments, and the peripheral route, which involves more superficial cues and heuristics.

Question 17

The _____route of the ELM model involves inducing the recipient of a message to think carefully and weigh the arguments.

Accepted Answer

The central route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) involves careful and thoughtful consideration of the arguments presented in a message.

Question 18

A bank robber is holding hostages. The negotiator tells the robber that he should think about his future and that no one gets hurt, but, if someone does, he is looking at a much longer jail sentence. The negotiator is making use of the _____ route of the ELM model.

Accepted Answer

The central route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) involves persuading someone by using logical arguments and reasoning, which is what the negotiator is doing by discussing the consequences of the robber's actions.

Question 19

The _____route of the ELM model involves inducing the recipient of a message to use less rational and thoughtful processes, and aims for emotional effects.

Accepted Answer

The peripheral route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) involves less rational and thoughtful processing, focusing on emotional and superficial cues.

Question 20

I am watching a reality show on television. The show involves competition between individuals. I notice that all of the women and men are incredibly attractive and very fit. They are also all in revealing clothing. Those in charge of advertising the show are trying to make use of the _____ route of the ELM model.

Accepted Answer

The peripheral route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) involves influencing people through superficial cues, such as attractiveness and clothing, rather than through detailed information or logical arguments.

Quiz 16: Social Cognition