Question 1

"I hate Walt Disney World.Whenever I take the kids there,I realize how much I hate that place." Which method of attitude formation is involved in this example?

Accepted Answer

This statement suggests that the person has had direct contact with Walt Disney World and their negative attitude has formed as a result of that direct experience. Therefore the method of attitude formation involved in this example is direct contact.

Question 2

Luis picks up a pack of cigarettes and reads,"Cigarette smoking is harmful to your health." Which of the following statements would lead one to believe Luis is experiencing cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Option C suggests that Luis is experiencing cognitive dissonance as he knows smoking is harmful to his health, but he can't stop doing it. This conflicting thought and behavior create dissonance in his mind. Options A and B may indicate a lack of knowledge or denial of the facts, while option D suggests that the person does not believe the stated fact, but none of these options suggest cognitive dissonance.

Question 3

Which of the following is the correct definition of cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort experienced by a person holding two or more contradictory beliefs or values, or when their behavior is inconsistent with their beliefs or attitudes. Option A is the correct definition. Option B refers to diffusion of responsibility, option C refers to groupthink, and option D refers to the illusory truth effect.

Question 4

Kerry's positive attitude toward China,even though she has never been there,seems to be related to the fact that her mother is Chinese and talks about China all the time with Kerry.Which method of attitude formation is involved in this example?

Accepted Answer

Kerry's positive attitude toward China seems to be formed through interaction with her mother who talks about China frequently. This is an example of attitude formation through interaction with others.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

The attitude change displayed by the leader of the group is an example of cognitive dissonance. The belief that the world would end on June 7 conflicted with the fact that it did not, which created cognitive dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, the leader changed their attitude to convince themselves that their prayers had saved the world.

Question 6

A state of tension that occurs when a person's attitudes do not match the person's actions is called __________.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort a person feels when holding two or more contradictory beliefs or values or when their beliefs and actions do not align. This state of tension motivates the individual to change their beliefs or behaviors to reduce the discomfort.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort that arises from holding two contradictory beliefs or attitudes simultaneously. In this case, the individual believes that reality TV is for morons but watches American Idol, which is a form of reality TV, indicating a contradiction in their beliefs.

Question 8

Which of the following qualities would make members of a target audience easier to persuade?

Accepted Answer

Younger members of a target audience are generally more open to new ideas and more likely to be influenced by persuasive messages.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

The study by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) found that participants who were paid $1 to lie about finding a boring task interesting experienced cognitive dissonance and convinced themselves the task was more enjoyable, compared to those paid $20, who didn't need to alter their beliefs to justify the lie.

Question 10

The advice to "Keep it simple,stupid" suggests that political and other messages should be simple so the audience will understand the content without distractions.This is an example of which type of processing suggested by the elaboration likelihood model?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The advice to "Keep it simple,stupid" suggests...

Question 11

Which of the following would result in cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two conflicting beliefs or values, which causes discomfort or tension. In this case, the belief that smoking is bad for one's health conflicts with the love of smoking, resulting in cognitive dissonance.

Question 12

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 misgivings.One day you learn that he stole personal items from your desk.You now decide to discontinue the friendshi

Accepted Answer

The scenario described suggests that the person is experiencing cognitive dissonance - the discomfort that arises when we hold conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or values. On one hand, they disliked the coworker and believed he was dishonest; on the other hand, he was nice to them and did them favors, creating a positive impression. The discovery of the theft creates a clear inconsistency - it shows that the coworker's behavior is not as positive and friendly as it seemed. In order to reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance, the person decides to discontinue the friendship, thereby aligning their behavior with their negative beliefs about the coworker's honesty.

Question 13

What is the relationship between expertise and persuasion?

Accepted Answer

Greater expertise is generally associated with greater persuasion, as individuals who are perceived as experts in a particular area are often seen as more credible and authoritative. Their opinions and recommendations are more likely to be trusted and followed by others.

Question 14

What process describes the use of social influence to cause other people to change their beliefs,opinions,positions,or actions?

Accepted Answer

Persuasion is the process of using social influence to change someone's beliefs, opinions, or actions. This can be done through various techniques, such as presenting logical arguments, appealing to emotions, or using authoritative sources. Enticement refers to the act of tempting someone through incentives or rewards, while conversion refers to the process of completely changing one's beliefs or values. Affectance is not a commonly used term in relation to social influence.

Question 15

A local car insurance company advertises their products with television commercials.During those spots,there are flashy lights,attractive dancers wearing skin-tight outfits,and local celebrities talking about how they have that company's insurance.The advertisement does not,however,mention any of the features or costs associated with the product.This company is attempting to earn customers through which path of processing?

Accepted Answer

The company is using flashy visuals, attractive dancers, and local celebrities to capture the attention of viewers and appeal to their emotions rather than using logical arguments or providing information about their products. This is characteristic of the peripheral route of processing.

Question 16

Expertise,attractiveness,and trustworthiness all relate to which factor of persuasion?

Accepted Answer

The factors of expertise, attractiveness, and trustworthiness all relate to the source of persuasion. The source of the message can heavily influence the effectiveness of the message being delivered.

Question 17

Attitude formation is the result of a number of influences.What they have in common is that they are all forms of ___________.

Accepted Answer

Attitude formation involves learning from various sources such as personal experiences, socialization, media, and education among others. Hence, the common factor in all these sources is learning.

Question 18

Jaquan's parents have been talking to him about the negative aspects of drugs ever since he was a youngster.Now that he is a teenager,he knows that some of his friends smoke marijuana.At a party one night,a friend offers Jaquan a joint.Jaquan declines the offer,while stating that he hates drugs.Even though he has never tried drugs to form his own opinion of them,which method of attitude formation has kept him from making a mistake?

Accepted Answer

Jaquan's attitude towards drugs was formed through direct instruction from his parents. They have talked to him about the negative aspects of drugs since he was young, which has shaped his beliefs and values. When faced with the decision to use drugs, he is able to draw upon this instruction and knowledge to make an informed decision.

Question 19

When George Bush said,"Everything in Iraq is going as planned.Trust me,I am the president," he was using what form of the elaboration likelihood model?

Accepted Answer

George Bush was using peripheral route processing by relying on his authority as the president to persuade people to trust him without presenting any substantive evidence or arguments to support his claim. He was not engaging in central route processing, which involves a careful analysis and evaluation of the relevant information and arguments to form a reasoned judgment.

Question 20

Which communicator would likely be the most persuasive?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that attractiveness can enhance persuasive communication, especially when combined with expertise. Therefore, an attractive person who is also an expert would likely be the most persuasive communicator.

Quiz 10: Social Psychology