Question 1

Explain Muzafer Sherif and Carl Hovland's (1961)social judgment theory.

Accepted Answer

Sherif and Hovland created social judgment theory in an attempt to determine what types of communicative messages and under what conditions communicated messages will lead to a change in someone's behavior.Sherif and Hovland found that people's perceptions of attitudes,values,beliefs,and behaviors exist on a continuum including latitude of rejection,latitude
of noncommitment,and latitude of acceptance.

Question 2

Persuasion is the use of communication to get a person to behave in a manner or embrace a point-of-view related to values,attitudes,and/or beliefs that he or she would not have done otherwise.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately describes the definition of persuasion.

Question 3

An external justification is the process of reducing cognitive dissonance by voluntarily changing a behavior,belief,or attitude.

Accepted Answer

External justification involves attributing one's behavior to external factors, not voluntarily changing it.

Question 4

Nancy is at a food show where all of the local restaurants are giving away samples of the food.She takes a bite of a mini-cupcake and thinks it's the best thing she's ever tasted.Nancy's conclusion is considered a(n)____________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Nancy is at a food show where...

Question 5

What are the range of behaviors or thoughts individuals have no strong opinion for,as discussed by Muzafer Sherif and Carl Hovland's (1961)social judgment theories?

Accepted Answer

According to Sherif and Hovland's social judgment theory, the range of behaviors or thoughts individuals have no strong opinion for is referred to as the "latitude of noncommitment." This includes ideas or positions that are seen as acceptable but not necessarily taken on by the individual. A, B, and E refer to other concepts within the social judgment theory, but they do not specifically address the range of behaviors or thoughts individuals have no strong opinion for. C, "latitude of commitment," refers to the range of ideas or positions that an individual strongly agrees with and is committed to.

Question 6

Upon contemplation,Geraldo is 99% positive that the defendant is guilty even though the evidence does not clearly support Geraldo's position.Geraldo's conclusion is considered a(n)____________.

Accepted Answer

Geraldo's conviction or certainty that the defendant is guilty even though the evidence does not clearly support it is a belief. It is a personal conviction that has been formed based on his thoughts and ideas about the situation. Attitude, cognition, dissonance, and value are not appropriate options as they do not accurately describe Geraldo's situation.

Question 7

Julia loves to analyze political speeches.She loves to see how politicians put together specific phrases in an attempt to persuade audiences.She also loves evaluating the truthfulness of various statements politicians make and whether those politicians' arguments are logical.What personality trait does Julia possess?

Accepted Answer

Julia's enjoyment of analyzing political speeches and evaluating their truthfulness and logical coherence suggests a high need for cognition, which is defined as a trait involving a tendency to enjoy thinking and analyzing information. This is different from argumentativeness or verbal aggression, which involve a tendency to argue or be aggressive in speech, and from elaboration intensity, which involves a tendency to provide detailed information. Neuroticism refers to a tendency toward negative emotions and instability, which is not apparent in the description of Julia's personality.

Question 8

The latitude of liking is the range of acceptable behaviors or thoughts individuals will accept as discussed by Muzafer Sherif and Carl Hovland's (1961)social judgment theories.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The latitude of liking is the range...

Question 9

___________ ___________ ___________ is a personality trait characterized by an internal drive or need to engage in critical thinking and information processing.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ___________ ___________ ___________ is a personality trait...

Question 10

The more ___________ someone is to persuasion,the more time it generally takes to persuade them.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The more ___________ someone is to persuasion,the...

Question 11

Sam really likes Joann,a girl he's been dating for a few weeks.The problem is Sam is a Republican and Joann is a Democrat,and Sam isn't sure he can see himself in a long-term relationship with someone of a different political party.Based on this scenario,what is Sam experiencing?

Accepted Answer

Sam is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort or psychological stress a person experiences when holding two or more contradictory beliefs or values, or when faced with new information that contradicts their existing beliefs or values. In this scenario, Sam likes Joann but is uncomfortable with the fact that they have different political affiliations, which creates cognitive dissonance.

Question 12

What is the use of communication to get a person to behave in a manner or embrace a point-of-view related to values,attitudes,and/or beliefs that he or she would not have done otherwise?

Accepted Answer

Persuasion is the use of communication to get a person to behave in a manner or embrace a point-of-view related to values, attitudes, and/or beliefs that he or she would not have done otherwise. The other options do not fully capture the concept of using communication to change someone's behavior or beliefs. Conversion implies a complete transformation, guidance suggests guidance towards existing beliefs rather than changing them, impact implies a passive effect rather than an active effort to change, and influence is a broader term that includes non-communicative factors.

Question 13

A dispositional belief is a belief that people have actively engaged in and created over the course of their lives.

Accepted Answer

A dispositional belief is a belief that a person holds passively, without actively engaging or consciously thinking about it, until it is needed or relevant.

Question 14

While watching an advertisement,Tim sees a star he looks up to selling a new brand of bubblegum.After seeing the commercial,Tim rushes out to buy a packet of the gum.What type of elaboration has occurred in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes a superficial, peripheral type of elaboration in which Tim's attention is drawn to the celebrity endorsement rather than to any central, meaningful information about the product itself.

Question 15

What is meant by the term "persuasion?"

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is meant by the term "persuasion?"...

Question 16

Penelope is an audience member in an introductory public speaking class.One of her peers is delivering a speech on why fireworks should be banned.The arguments her peer is making sound good,but when Penelope analyzes what is actually being argued,the arguments start falling apart immediately.What type of elaboration has occurred in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

Central elaboration involves critically analyzing the content of the message, which is what Penelope is doing when she finds the arguments fall apart upon closer examination.

Question 17

Pat was always raised to think that hard work was truly worth something in life.This is an example of what?

Accepted Answer

The statement refers to a core value that Pat was raised with, which is the belief in the importance of hard work.

Question 18

Differentiate between core and dispositional beliefs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Differentiate between core and dispositional beliefs....

Question 19

An attitude is an individual's perception of the usefulness,importance,or worth of something.

Accepted Answer

An attitude is a psychological tendency expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor, not just perception of usefulness or worth.

Question 20

Discuss Petty and Cacioppo's (1986)elaboration likelihood model.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss Petty and Cacioppo's (1986)elaboration likelihood model....

Quiz 17: Persuasive Speaking