PS1030 - Attitudes and Persuasion

A state of discomfort or tension that arises when a person holds two or more conflicting beliefs, ideas, or values.

Theories that propose that people strive for consistency among their thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors.

An aversive state that arises when there is inconsistency between a person's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

The process of reducing cognitive dissonance by changing one's attitudes or beliefs to be more consistent with their behavior.

The tendency for people to seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs and to avoid information that contradicts them.

When someone's actions conflict with their beliefs and attitudes, it can lead to a desire to change their attitude to be consistent with their behavior.

A situation where a person's beliefs or attitudes are consistent with their behavior.

A situation where a person's beliefs or attitudes are inconsistent with their behavior.

When an individual is forced to behave in a way that contradicts their beliefs or attitudes.

The dissonance created when someone has to choose between equally attractive options.

The amount of effort put into an action influences the degree of dissonance.

An experiment by Festinger & Carlsmith (1959) demonstrating that when people are paid a small amount to lie about enjoying a boring task, they are more likely to change their attitudes to justify their actions.

An experiment by Brehm (1956) where participants were asked to rate the desirability of household products after making a choice between two equally desirable products.

The stronger belief or attitude will likely win out in the resolution of dissonance.

The tendency to seek out information that confirms pre-existing beliefs and avoid information that contradicts them.

The process of changing an attitude to reduce cognitive dissonance.

This experiment tested how different levels of effort (severe vs. mild initiation) influenced the liking of a boring group discussion. People who underwent more severe initiation (and therefore experienced more dissonance) ended up liking the discussion more.

This replicated Brehm's (1956) study to see if attitude change patterns persisted. The results supported the original findings.

This study investigated how people seek out information after making a decision, focusing on whether the information is consonant (confirming) or dissonant (contradictory) with their decision.

This study examined how people make decisions about terminating or staying in their jobs based on the reversibility of the decision. If a decision is easily reversible, people are more open to dissonant information, but if it's irreversible, they are more likely to seek out consonant information.

The idea that active participation in a change process leads to more effective attitude change than passive reception.

A technique for increasing resistance to persuasion by introducing a weak, easily refuted argument against the desired attitude, making it more difficult for future stronger arguments to have an effect.

The strength of a person's attitude influences their resistance to persuasive arguments. People with firmly held beliefs are less likely to be swayed.

A theory stating that people infer their attitudes by observing their own behavior, especially when there are no strong preexisting attitudes.

Refers to the range of positions on a topic that a person finds acceptable.

Refers to the range of positions on a topic that a person finds unacceptable or objectionable.

A compliance technique that involves making a small request followed by a larger request, making it more likely that the larger request will be accepted.

A compliance technique that involves making a large, unreasonable request that is likely to be refused, followed by a smaller, more reasonable request. The smaller request is then more likely to be accepted.

A compliance technique that involves making an attractive offer, and then, after the person agrees to it, increasing the cost or decreasing the benefit.

The tendency for individuals to justify their commitment to a course of action, even if it is costly, by emphasizing the resources they have already committed to the action.

A model explaining persuasion that considers three factors: source, message, and audience.

A model that explains how people process persuasive messages, either by carefully considering the arguments (central route) or by relying on peripheral cues (peripheral route).

Refers to how much effort someone puts into thinking about a persuasive message. High involvement leads to central processing, while low involvement leads to peripheral processing.

The quality of the arguments used to persuade someone. Strong arguments are more likely to lead to attitude change through central processing.

Refers to whether the source of a persuasive message is considered credible or attractive. Famous/attractive endorsers can influence attitudes through peripheral processing.

A theory that suggests persuasion is most effective when an audience's self-esteem falls within a moderate range. Very low or very high self-esteem reduces persuadability.

The extent to which a person enjoys thinking about and engaging in cognitive tasks. Individuals high in need for cognition are more likely to use central processing.

The desire for definitive answers and a sense of certainty. Individuals high in need for closure are more likely to rely on peripheral cues and accept quick answers.

The way in which different age groups are susceptible to persuasion. Early adulthood and later life are periods of higher susceptibility compared to middle adulthood.