Question 1

Daniel O'Keefe (2002) defines persuasion as "a successful intentional effort at influencing another's mental state through communication in a circumstance in which the persuadee has some measure of freedom." His definition presumes that:

Accepted Answer

O'Keefe's definition includes the term "successful," implying that persuasion must have an effect on the persuadee's mental state. Therefore, option B is correct. Options A, C, and D are not directly addressed in the definition.

Question 2

A definition which limits persuasion to symbolic action

Accepted Answer

A definition focusing on symbolic action encompasses activities that convey messages or stand for ideas beyond themselves, such as protests, marches, demonstrations, and sit-ins, which are all forms of symbolic expression aiming to persuade.

Question 3

The unintended receiver effect illustrates one problem with relying on ____________ to define persuasion

Accepted Answer

The unintended receiver effect illustrates that persuasion can occur without intention or even awareness on the part of the sender, highlighting the limitation of relying solely on intentionality to define persuasion.

Question 4

________________ is to Chaiken & Eagly's HSM model what _________________ is to Petty & Cacioppo's ELM model.

Accepted Answer

In the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) by Chaiken & Eagly, systematic processing is analogous to central processing in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) by Petty & Cacioppo, as both refer to a deep, thoughtful analysis of persuasive information.

Question 5

The idea that persuasion requires free choice or free will focuses on

Accepted Answer

The idea that persuasion requires free choice or free will is centered around the receiver's ability to choose whether or not they want to be persuaded. The receiver must feel like they have the freedom to accept or reject the message being presented to them in order for persuasion to be effective. Therefore, the focus is on the receiver and their ability to make a choice.

Question 6

In the Gass & Seiter model, the outer circle represents ________________ persuasion, while the inner circle represents ________________ persuasion.

Accepted Answer

According to the Gass & Seiter model, the outer circle represents borderline persuasion, which involves messages that only slightly influence or reinforce existing attitudes, while the inner circle represents pure persuasion, which involves messages that drastically change attitudes or behaviors. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Question 7

Which group of receivers would be most likely to engage in peripheral processing?

Accepted Answer

Peripheral processing occurs when receivers have low involvement and low need for cognition, meaning they don't have a strong interest or motivation to process information deeply. They may rely on cues like advertising slogans, images, or celebrity endorsements instead of detailed product information.

Question 8

One way to help ensure a persuasive message will have a lasting effect on receivers is to:

Accepted Answer

Increasing the receivers' involvement in the issue being presented in the persuasive message can help ensure a lasting effect. When individuals are invested in an issue and feel that their beliefs align with the message, they are more likely to be persuaded and to remember the message over time. Increasing intelligence or decreasing self-monitoring may not necessarily have an impact on the enduring effect of the message, while increasing peripheral processing may lead to a temporary effect that is easily forgotten.

Question 9

Petty and Cacioppo's ELM postulates that there are two routes to persuasion:

Accepted Answer

Petty and Cacioppo's ELM postulates that there are two routes to persuasion, namely the central route and the peripheral route. The central route involves deeply processing the information and considering the message content, while the peripheral route involves superficial processing, such as being influenced by superficial cues like the speaker's attractiveness or expertise.

Question 10

According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model, a person with high involvement in an issue would tend to be persuaded by

Accepted Answer

The Elaboration Likelihood Model proposes that people process persuasive messages through two routes – the central route and the peripheral route. The central route involves a high level of involvement, where people carefully consider the content of the message and the arguments presented. Therefore, a person with high involvement would tend to be persuaded through the central route, rather than being swayed by superficial cues or peripheral factors such as credibility or heuristics.

Question 11

What is the relationship of persuasion and coercion, according to Gass & Seiter?

Accepted Answer

Persuasion and coercion are both attempts to influence others, but they differ in their methods. Persuasion uses reason and argument to convince others to change their beliefs or behaviors, while coercion uses force or threats to compel others to do something against their will.

Question 12

Which of the following is the best example of asynchronous persuasion?

Accepted Answer

Asynchronous persuasion occurs when the message and the response do not happen simultaneously. A television commercial is a one-way communication that does not require or expect an immediate response from the viewer, making it asynchronous. Choices A, C, and D involve direct, real-time interactions, which are examples of synchronous communication.

Question 13

A preacher reminds his congregation that even though forgiving a sinner may not be easy, it is the Christian thing to do. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The preacher is reminding the congregation of an existing attitude and belief in Christianity, which is forgiveness. Therefore, he is reinforcing the existing attitude and belief rather than changing or creating new ones, or extinguishing existing ones.

Question 14

"Persuasive communication represents any message that is intended to shape, reinforce, or change the responses of another, or others" (James Stiff, 2003). The above definition relies on which two limiting criteria?

Accepted Answer

The definition limits persuasive communication based on the intentionality of the message (i.e. it must be intended to shape, reinforce, or change responses) and the interpersonal aspect of the communication (i.e. it is targeted at another or others).

Question 15

Which of the following groups of receivers would tend to rely less on credibility as a peripheral cue and more on the content or substance of a message?

Accepted Answer

Students at a college where a tuition hike is being considered would be directly impacted by the decision and therefore would likely prioritize the substance of the message over the credibility of the source. The other groups may place more emphasis on the credibility of the source due to their distance from the decision-making process.

Question 16

The Gass & Seiter model maintains that ________________ determines the nature of the persuasion process.

Accepted Answer

The Gass & Seiter model proposes that the context in which persuasion occurs is the most significant factor in determining how persuasion works. The model outlines several situational factors that can affect persuasion, including the physical environment, the social context, and the cognitive context. The message, source, and ethnicity are also important, but they are seen as less significant than the context in which persuasion takes place.

Question 17

Buying a television based on its brand name, or purchasing a product based on a celebrity endorsement are examples of

Accepted Answer

These are examples of heuristic processing, which involves making quick, automatic judgments based on easily accessible information rather than engaging in more in-depth analysis or research. Brand names and celebrity endorsements serve as mental shortcuts for consumers, allowing them to quickly make decisions without investing significant time and effort in weighing different options.

Question 18

Which of the following influence scenarios represents persuasion through symbolic action?

Accepted Answer

Persuasion through symbolic action involves using symbolic gestures, images, or actions to persuade individuals to take a particular action or believe a certain way. Choice D represents this scenario as the passer-by is being persuaded to act (volunteer at an animal shelter) after observing PETA's protest march, which is a symbolic action. The other choices are not examples of persuasion through symbolic action, as they involve other forms of persuasion such as moral or reputation-based persuasion (choice A), rational persuasion (choice B), and credibility-based persuasion (choice C).

Question 19

In the terms used in the Elaboration Likelihood Model, a person low in the need for cognition is more likely to be persuaded via the _________ route to persuasion.

Accepted Answer

According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model, individuals who are low in the need for cognition are more likely to be persuaded via the peripheral route, which focuses on superficial cues such as attractiveness, credibility, and emotional appeals, rather than relying on the central route which involves careful evaluation of arguments and evidence. Hence, option D is the correct answer.

Question 20

Which of the following is the best example of synchronous persuasion?

Accepted Answer

Synchronous persuasion involves real-time interaction between the persuader and the audience. A door-to-door solicitor engaging with a resident is a live, interactive scenario, making it the best example of synchronous persuasion among the options provided.

Quiz 1: Why Study Persuasion