PS1030 - Attitudes and Persuasion

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Questions and Answers

What does cognitive consistency theory propose about attitudes?

Attitudes remain fixed regardless of behavior.

Attitudes have no impact on behavior.

Attitudes are influenced solely by external factors.

Attitudes change to align with beliefs and behaviors. (correct)

What is cognitive dissonance?

A conflict between related attitudes or beliefs that causes psychological tension. (correct)

A state of comfort and agreement among beliefs.

An adaptive response to social pressures.

A positive reinforcement technique for behavior change.

How can cognitive dissonance be alleviated?

By maintaining all pre-existing beliefs.

By changing an existing cognition or adding new ones to resolve discrepancies. (correct)

By enhancing the aversive state to motivate consistent behavior.

By ignoring any conflicts that arise.

In the context of cognitive dissonance, what is a consonant belief?

A belief that reinforces existing attitudes and behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What emotional state is typically associated with cognitive dissonance?

Tension Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following would most likely lead to cognitive dissonance?

Believing that smoking is harmful while being a smoker. Signup and view all the answers

Which situation best exemplifies cognitive dissonance reduction?

Rationalizing unhealthy eating by noting occasional exercise. Signup and view all the answers

What is a more effective method for attitude change according to action research?

Active participation in discussions Signup and view all the answers

How does the inoculation theory describe increasing resistance to persuasion?

Through challenging with easy-to-rebut weak arguments Signup and view all the answers

According to attitude strength theory, what factor contributes to higher resistance to persuasion?

Confidence in personal beliefs Signup and view all the answers

In the context of community health, which method was found to influence American housewives effectively?

Discussion group involvement Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following social issues might be addressed through understanding attitude change?

Prejudice reduction efforts Signup and view all the answers

What is one method through which cognitive dissonance can be initiated?

Decision-making Signup and view all the answers

In the context of cognitive dissonance, what does 'forced compliance' typically involve?

Being encouraged to act contrary to beliefs Signup and view all the answers

What was the amount paid to participants in the boring task study who were least likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

$1 Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements could be an example of adding new cognitions to resolve cognitive dissonance?

Eating junk food sometimes is necessary for health. Signup and view all the answers

How does choice between two highly desirable products affect cognitive dissonance?

It results in high dissonance. Signup and view all the answers

What outcome typically follows the experience of cognitive dissonance?

Actions that aim to reduce dissonance Signup and view all the answers

What is an effect of receiving factual information about products before making a choice?

Lower incidence of cognitive dissonance Signup and view all the answers

Which option represents a behavior change to resolve cognitive dissonance?

Quitting a habit after realizing its harm Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon describes the increase in liking for a difficult experience after having endured it?

Effort justification Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario is indicative of the selective exposure hypothesis?

Choosing not to listen to negative feedback after making a choice Signup and view all the answers

In the context of high dissonance conditions, what is typically the outcome for product evaluation?

Increased preference for the selected product Signup and view all the answers

What was the design of the Aronson & Mills (1959) study involving women volunteers?

Participants evaluated biased group discussions after varying levels of screening Signup and view all the answers

What is likely a reason for an individual to select consonant information after making a decision?

To feel more validated about their decision Signup and view all the answers

What type of decision-making situation can lead to more dissonance according to the content?

Irreversible decisions Signup and view all the answers

What happens in the 'No difference' zone between low and high dissonance conditions?

No significant change in attitude is perceived Signup and view all the answers

How does high dissonance affect one's attitude toward their selection?

It fosters a dislike for the rejected option Signup and view all the answers

What does self-perception theory suggest about attitudes?

Attitudes are inferred from behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Which compliance technique is associated with making a large request after a smaller request?

Foot in the door Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary aim of the Yale Attitude Change Approach?

To identify factors influencing attitude change. Signup and view all the answers

What factor is NOT considered part of the Yale Attitude Change Approach?

Emotional appeal of the message Signup and view all the answers

In Cialdini's study involving voluntary counseling, what was the percentage that agreed to the second request for a chaperone after the first?

17% Signup and view all the answers

What is a major effect seen in the 'low ball tactic' as demonstrated in Cialdini's research?

Participants are more likely to comply when details are revealed after commitment. Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the sunk cost fallacy in decision making?

A reliance on previous investments affecting current decisions. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to the credibility of a source in the context of persuasion?

Expertise and trustworthiness Signup and view all the answers

What shape does the Self-Esteem curve described by McGuire (1968) follow?

Inverted U-curve Signup and view all the answers

Which individual difference in needs is associated with a preference for cognitive engagement?

Need for cognition Signup and view all the answers

During which life stages is susceptibility to persuasion the highest according to the U-curve model?

Early adulthood and later life Signup and view all the answers

What does the Elaboration-Likelihood Model (ELM) suggest regarding argument quality?

Strong arguments are more effective under high involvement Signup and view all the answers

Which peripheral factor is most likely to influence a person's decision when they have low involvement?

Sex appeal Signup and view all the answers

In the ELM, what is indicated by the performance of different argument qualities across various endorsement types?

Endorser fame affects persuasion based on argument quality Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the relationship between involvement and persuasion effectiveness according to the ELM?

Increased involvement correlates with higher effectiveness of strong arguments Signup and view all the answers

What role does the concept of 'Need for closure' play in persuasion?

It relates to the necessity for stable beliefs and certainty Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Persuasion and Attitude Change

The session aims to improve understanding of attitude change and persuasive communication.

Cognitive Dissonance

People strive for consistency in their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Inconsistency creates an aversive state, prompting a desire to reduce the tension.
Dissonance can be triggered by forced compliance, decision-making, and effort.

Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger, 1957)

Conflict between related attitudes, cognitions, and actions creates dissonance (tension).
This tension is lessened by modifying a cognition or adding a new one to explain the discrepancy.
Examples include changing behavior (e.g., quitting smoking), altering cognitions (e.g., downplaying the risks of smoking), or adding new cognitions (e.g., smoking suppresses appetite and has health benefits).

Cognitive Dissonance (Specific Examples)

Forced compliance: Participants paid either $1 or $20 to lie about a task. Those paid $1 rated the task as more enjoyable than those paid $20, implying dissonance reduction.
Decision-making: Choosing between two desirable options usually yields higher dissonance, compared to choosing between one desirable and one less desirable choice
Effort justification: Investing significant effort in something leads to increasing the value placed on it.

Compliance

Compliance is responding to a request from someone else.
Techniques include:
- Foot-in-the-door: Making a small request first, then a larger one.
- Door-in-the-face: Making a large request first, then a smaller one.
- Low-ball: Getting someone committed to something, then changing the deal to make it less desirable.

Selective Exposure Hypothesis

People tend to avoid information that could create dissonance.
People prefer information that supports their pre-existing beliefs.
The decision to continue or terminate employment can be either reversible or irreversible, influencing how people search for information.

Alternative Views to Cognitive Dissonance

Self-perception theory (Bem, 1972) suggests that attitudes are inferred from behavior.
The latitude of acceptance (LoA) and the latitude of rejection (LoR) can be used to measure attitude change from choices and judgments.

Message - Features of the communication

Effects of communication features like repetition on audience responses were measured
There's varying effectiveness of one-sided vs. two-sided messages
Fear and emotion can influence attitudes either positively or negatively.

Audience Characteristics

Self-esteem, need for cognition, need for closure, and age influence susceptibility to persuasive messages.
Audience characteristics may impact the most effective persuasive technique to use

Dual-Process Models of Persuasion

Models highlight two routes to persuasion:
Central route: characterized by careful information processing and relying on the quality of arguments.
Peripheral route: uses superficial cues such as persuasion to elicit a desired outcome.

Action Research

Attitude change is often more effective when participants actively participate rather than passively receiving information.
- This has been demonstrated with American housewives in experiments designed to feed their families unusual but nutritious foods
- These experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of action-based research in community health programs.

Resistance to Persuasion

Inoculation theory (McGuire, 1964) proposes that exposing individuals to weak arguments strengthens their resistance to stronger future arguments.
Attitude strength influences resistance to persuasion.
The firmer one's beliefs, the more difficult they are to change.

Summary

The presentation covered several theories on how attitudes change, including cognitive dissonance, how to influence attitudes with different techniques (e.g., persuasion), and how to identify and overcome resistance to persuasion.

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Description

Explore the principles of cognitive consistency theory, cognitive dissonance, and various methods for alleviating dissonance. This quiz covers key concepts such as consonant beliefs, the emotional states associated with cognitive dissonance, and effective strategies for attitude change.