Question 1

Which of the following statements best describes the third person effect? People tend to

Accepted Answer

A)   overestimate the influence of persuasion on themselves and underestimate its effects on others
B)   underestimate the influence of a group on an individual member
C)   underestimate the influence of persuasion on themselves and overestimate its effects on others
D)   underestimate the influence of the individual member on the group C

Question 2

Advertisements which display the "As Seen On TV" logo, or ads in the phone directory which display the Christian "Ichthys" symbol, are attempting to bolster which credibility dimension?

Accepted Answer

A)   trustworthiness
B)   expertise
C)   sociability
D)   dynamism A

Question 3

_______ are the expectations we have about what behaviors are right or wrong.

Accepted Answer

A)   Norms
B)   Rules
C)   Cultural guidelines
D)   Peer pressures A

Question 4

In regards to ethical communication, it isn't so much what strategies and tactics a persuader uses as

Accepted Answer

A)   the amount of skill she/he has
B)   the events that take place
C)   whom she/he can influence
D)   why she/he uses them

Question 5

The best advice regarding self-disparaging humor is

Accepted Answer

A)   avoid it altogether; it is never a good idea to put oneself down
B)   use it, to enhance your perceived competence
C)   use it, primarily to increase likeability
D)   avoid it, in favor of third-party disparagement

Question 6

In a political debate, a politician who keeps a cool head even when attacked by an opponent or when asked a tough question by the moderator, is exhibiting

Accepted Answer

A)   trustworthiness.
B)   expertise
C)   sociability
D)   composure

Question 7

According to Gass & Seiter, persuasion is analogous to

Accepted Answer

A)   a locomotive
B)   a diamond in the rough
C)   a tool
D)   Frankenstein
E)   the engine in a car

Question 8

An example of a symbol is

Accepted Answer

A)   a thunderstorm.
B)   the word "chicken."
C)   a cat's meow.
D)   the idea of love.

Question 9

"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

A)   intentionality, interpersonal
B)   intrapersonal, symbolic action
C)   intentionality, free will
D)   effects, conscious awareness

Question 10

Males tend to be more persuasive than females, partly because

Accepted Answer

A)   they are more skilled at persuasion.
B)   audience stereotypes regarding appropriate behavior provide males with more choices when choosing influence strategies.
C)   females are less assertive and forceful when trying to be persuasive.
D)   the influence tactics of males receive more scrutiny than those of females.

Question 11

An overall assessment of ingratiation research to date suggests the strategy

Accepted Answer

A)   works well
B)   works moderately
C)   works rarely, if at all
D)   works only if the recipient is unaware of it

Question 12

Marketing brands to specific niche groups, such as waitress moms, NASCAR dads, or late breaking gays, is known as

Accepted Answer

A)   layering
B)   multimodal marketing
C)   segmentation analysis
D)   trendspotting
E)   sentiment tracking

Question 13

People often go along with the group, even if they think the group is wrong, because they want to be liked and accepted. This is known as:

Accepted Answer

A)   informational influence
B)   normative influence
C)   epistemological weighting
D)   autokinetic effect

Question 14

A commercial for a brand of jeans aligns itself with youth culture by showing teens, wearing that brand, doing stunts on skateboards and BMX bikes. This represents which approach to using images to persuade?

Accepted Answer

A)   image-based ads
B)   shock advertising
C)   subvertising
D)   anti-ads

Question 15

Deindividuation best explains why

Accepted Answer

A)   mob psychology takes over.
B)   people join cults.
C)   group members become "slackers."
D)   conformity to group norms occurs.

Question 16

Advertisements which make us feel sentimental about life, such as a television commercial depicting a family reunion full of hugs and smiles, rely on

Accepted Answer

A)   nostalgia
B)   warmth
C)   pathos
D)   liking

Question 17

As a tool for influence, music persuades

Accepted Answer

A)   via central processing
B)   via peripheral processing
C)   via central and peripheral processing
D)   rarely, if at all

Question 18

The dapper Tim Gunn, from Project Runway, may know a lot about fashion, but he knows nothing about how to operate a submarine. This best illustrates the fact that:

Accepted Answer

A)   credibility is a receiver based phenomenon
B)   credibility is a multidimensional concept
C)   credibility is situational or contextual
D)   credibility is dynamic

Question 19

Which of the following types of gestures is leastrelated to effective persuasion?

Accepted Answer

A)   emblems
B)   illustrators
C)   adaptors
D)   haptics

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

A)   pure, borderline
B)   borderline, pure
C)   symbolic, nonsymbolic
D)   free choice, free will

Exam 1: Why Study Persuasion