Question 1

To what extent can subliminal messages influence people's attitudes and behavior? Describe two studies that address this question.

Accepted Answer

Subliminal stimuli, which refers to stimuli presented below conscious awareness, can activate certain concepts and influence people's thoughts, feelings, and actions. However, most of these effects are limited to the laboratory context and do not have a strong influence on real-life behaviors. In labo- ratory studies, the subliminal message is presented right before assessment of the target attitude or behavior, and the participants encounter no competing messages in the interim, which is almost never the case in the real world. In one study, participants who were already thirsty, but not those who were not thirsty, drank more after being subliminally exposed to thirst-related words. In another study, thirsty participants subliminally exposed to thirst-related words requested 24 percent more "Super- Quencher" coupons than thirsty participants exposed to neutral words. A third study students may describe shows that the subliminal presentation of positive or negative images influences subsequent social evaluations.

Question 2

In one study, participants who were asked to come up with six examples of assertive behavior subsequently rated themselves as higher in assertiveness than those who provided twelve examples. How might metacognition help to explain this finding?

Accepted Answer

A)   Participants in the twelve-behavior condition inferred that they must not be very assertive because it was easy for them to come up with twelve assertive behaviors.
B)   Participants in the six-behavior condition inferred that they must be assertive because it was easy for them to come up with six assertive behaviors.
C)   Participants in the six-behavior condition engaged in more metacognition.
D)   Participants in the twelve-behavior condition engaged in less metacognition. B

Question 3

Which of the following advertising strategies BEST illustrates an attempt to persuade people through the central route?

Accepted Answer

A)   Research is presented demonstrating that a particular moisturizing lotion is more effective than other products.
B)   An attractive woman is shown eating a gourmet brand of chocolate.
C)   An upbeat song is played during a car ad
D)   A famous actor claims he loves drinking a particular brand of soda. A

Question 4

Amir just saw a movie that he somewhat liked. According to the process of thought polarization, how is Amir likely to feel after he thinks more extensively about the film?

Accepted Answer

A)   Amir will question his initial attitude about the film..
B)   Amir will feel indifferent about the film..
C)   Amir will come to like the film even more.
D)   Amir will come to dislike the film.

Question 5

One study found that head nodding led to greater persuasion when arguments were strong but less persuasion when arguments were weak. How did the researchers explain these findings?

Accepted Answer

A)   Nodding should enhance confidence in one's own favorable or unfavorable thoughts.
B)   Nodding should reduce confidence in one's own favorable or unfavorable thoughts.
C)   Nodding should enhance confidence in source credibility.
D)   Nodding should reduce confidence in source credibility.

Question 6

According to the textbook, which route to persuasion is most likely to lead to long-lasting attitude change?

Accepted Answer

A)   peripheral
B)   heuristic
C)   direct
D)   central

Question 7

Under what circumstances are efforts to frighten people most likely to prompt more healthful behaviors, and under what circumstances are they less likely to be effective? Give an example of a campaign that effectively uses fear tactics.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Under what circumstances are efforts to frighten...

Question 8

Wendy Wood (1982) found that participants in favor of environmental preservation who ________ shifted their attitudes considerably when exposed to an antipreservation message.

Accepted Answer

A)   knew less about the subject
B)   knew more about the subject
C)   believed preservation is very important
D)   were confident in their attitudes

Question 9

Give three examples of how the media can shape our conception of social reality.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Give three examples of how the media...

Question 10

Imagine you are a participant in Howard Leventhal and his colleagues' (1967) study. Recall that participants either (a) watched a scary film about lung cancer; (b) read a pamphlet of suggestions for how to quit smoking; or (c) watched the scary film and read the pamphlet. According to the results, you would be most likely to quit smoking if you were in condition ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   (a) 
B)   (b) 
C)   (c) 
D)   none of the above - likelihood of quitting smoking did not differ across the three conditions.

Question 11

Compared to people with no prior knowledge, people with prior knowledge of a subject are ________ to scrutinize messages about that subject and are ________ to change their attitudes about that subject.

Accepted Answer

A)   less likely; less likely
B)   less likely; more likely
C)   more likely; more likely
D)   more likely; less likely

Question 12

Define metacognition and describe how it influences persuasion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define metacognition and describe how it influences...

Question 13

Jason conducted an experiment in which participants were shown (a) three news stories dealing with the U.S. national deficit; (b) six news stories dealing with the U.S. national deficit; or (c) no news stories dealing with the U.S. national deficit. According to research on agenda control, Jason should expect that participants who read ________ news stories dealing with the deficit should be ________ likely to cite the deficit as one of the most important problems facing the country.

Accepted Answer

A)   six; least
B)   six; most
C)   three; most
D)   no; most

Question 14

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates how audience characteristics tend to impact persuasion?

Accepted Answer

A)   When Tommy feels sad, he is more likely to attend to pessimistic messages than to optimistic messages.
B)   When Tommy feels sad, he is more likely to attend to optimistic messages than to pessimistic messages.
C)   When Tommy feels sad, he is less likely to be persuaded.
D)   When Tommy feels sad, he is more likely to be persuaded.

Question 15

Nancy is trying to decide which car to buy. According to Richard Petty and John Cacioppo's elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, Nancy will be more likely to process information about the cars she researches through the central route if

Accepted Answer

A)   the information is associated with a pleasant stimulus.
B)   she does not know much about cars.
C)   she does not care about cars.
D)   she is personally motivated to devote time and energy to the information.

Question 16

Which of the following message recipients does NOT display a characteristic that is known to impact his or her susceptibility to persuasion?

Accepted Answer

A)   Jackie, a woman high in need for cognition
B)   Lenny, a Latino man
C)   Paula, a sixty-five-year-old woman
D)   Nick, a man who is very certain of most of his attitudes

Question 17

People's attention tends to be drawn to

Accepted Answer

A)   information that supports their original attitudes.
B)   information that refutes their original attitudes.
C)   simple arguments.
D)   complex arguments.

Question 18

When people make public statements regarding their attitudes,

Accepted Answer

A)   they are more likely to resist later counterattitudinal messages.
B)   they are less likely to resist counterattitudinal messages.
C)   their tendency to resist counterattitudinal messages is unchanged.
D)   they are unlikely to change the attitudes of others.

Question 19

Describe two source characteristics that increase a person's ability to persuade others, giving an example of each. Then discuss why these characteristics affect persuasion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe two source characteristics that increase a...

Question 20

Give two examples of how you could apply research on message characteristics to persuade more people to donate to an international disaster relief effort.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Give two examples of how you could...

Exam 8: Persuasion