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Questions and Answers
Which theory suggests that people's judgments are influenced by their prior attitudes, leading to biased perceptions?
Which theory suggests that people's judgments are influenced by their prior attitudes, leading to biased perceptions?
According to adaptation level theory, what happens to a stimulus that is experienced repeatedly?
According to adaptation level theory, what happens to a stimulus that is experienced repeatedly?
Why do people's judgments about a stimulus depend on their adaptation level?
Why do people's judgments about a stimulus depend on their adaptation level?
What is the critical point on the continuum of attitudes in social judgment theory?
What is the critical point on the continuum of attitudes in social judgment theory?
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What happens when people encounter arguments that are very far away from their anchor point?
What happens when people encounter arguments that are very far away from their anchor point?
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What is the range of arguments that seem reasonable but do not exactly reflect a person's position?
What is the range of arguments that seem reasonable but do not exactly reflect a person's position?
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When is attitude change most likely to occur according to social judgment theory?
When is attitude change most likely to occur according to social judgment theory?
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Why might a person continue to experience attitude change even when a message falls in their latitude of rejection?
Why might a person continue to experience attitude change even when a message falls in their latitude of rejection?
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What happens to the persuasion curve for a person who is highly ego-involved in an issue?
What happens to the persuasion curve for a person who is highly ego-involved in an issue?
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What do researchers mean by 'latitude of rejection'?
What do researchers mean by 'latitude of rejection'?
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Study Notes
Social Judgement Theory
- Prior attitudes can distort our perceptions of positions advocated by others, meaning our attitudes bias us.
- People tend to perceive information differently based on their pre-existing attitudes.
Adaptation Level Theory
- Judgements we make about a stimulus are not absolute, but are made in reference to an adaptation level.
- Repeated exposure to a stimulus can lead to adaptation, making it feel neutral.
- Examples:
- 10°C can feel cold in winter but warm in summer due to differing adaptation levels.
- Lottery winners initially feeling excited, but eventually becoming neutral about their win.
Adaptation in Social Circumstances
- Evaluating attractiveness is influenced by adaptation level, as seen in a study where male students rated pictures of women as more attractive after watching Charlie's Angels.
Adaptation vs. Social Judgement
- Attitudes vary on a continuum, similar to stimuli.
- A person's position serves as an anchor (reference point) for judgements about arguments towards attitude objects.
Discrepant Arguments
- When people hear arguments far away from their own position (anchor), they:
- See these arguments as even farther away from their anchors than they really are (contrast effect).
- Discredit arguments that fall within their latitudes of rejection.
- Arguments that are closer to their anchors fall into their latitudes of noncommitment.
Predictions
- When there is little discrepancy between a message and a person's position:
- There will be assimilation but little attitude change.
- When there is too much discrepancy:
- The arguments will fall in the person's latitude of rejection and be discredited, resulting in no attitude change.
- When there is a moderate discrepancy:
- The argument falls in the person's latitude of non-commitment, resulting in the most attitude change.
Credibility and Ego-Involvement
- Communication credibility can affect persuasion, as credible communicators can be harder to discredit.
- Ego-involvement in an issue can narrow the persuasion curve, as seen in pro-life activists.
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Description
Learn how prior attitudes influence our perceptions and how our judgements are relative to our adaptation level. Explore social judgement theory and adaptation level theory in this quiz.
