Question 1

________________ people are cast in commercials that seek to emphasize trustworthiness, whereas ________________ people are cast into commercials that seek to portray expertise.

Accepted Answer

A)  Ectomorphic, mesomorphic 
B)  Mesomorphic, endomorphic 
C)  Mature-faced, baby-faced 
D)  Baby-faced, mature-faced

Question 2

Although you don't know him well, you know that your neighbor, Roy, belongs to the Tea Party and is an NRA member. Decals on his car bumper say so. So you suspect he will not be happy to learn that a same sex couple bought the house next to him. You are

Accepted Answer

A)  inferring attitudes from behavior 
B)  inferring behavior from attitudes 
C)  inferring attitudes from appearances 
D)  inferring attitudes from associations

Question 3

A teen is considering whether he/she should start smoking. Which of the following best illustrates the subjective norm component of the Theory of Reasoned Action?

Accepted Answer

A)  The teen believes smoking causes lung cancer 
B)  The teen believes smoking is addictive 
C)  The teen believes she/he could quit smoking if she/he wanted to 
D)  The teen thinks his/her friends think smoking is cool

Question 4

This persuasive strategy is inadvisable, except as a last resort, since it tends to diminish the esteem of the receiver, is damaging to relationships, and can trigger aggression toward the persuader.

Accepted Answer

A)  deception 
B)  fear appeals 
C)  ingratiation 
D)  threats of punishment

Question 5

An example of habitual persuasion is

Accepted Answer

A)  arguing with a friend about an editorial in the newspaper 
B)  negotiating with your parents over how much of your tuition they should pay 
C)  claiming "the dog ate it" whenever you turn in a late assignment 
D)  asking a professor to explain why you got the grade you did on an essay

Question 6

According to Gladwell's concept of Tipping Points, a product or idea can't take off unless it has inherent appeal. This is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  gravitational pull 
B)  scalability 
C)  momentum magic 
D)  stickiness 
E)  gravitas

Question 7

Borderline persuasion refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  influence attempts that are ethically suspect. 
B)  influence attempts that are only partially successful. 
C)  less traditional or obvious forms of influence. 
D)  attempts to influence border patrol agents and immigration officers.

Question 8

When companies donate to charities or sponsor causes, they are engaging in

Accepted Answer

A)  faux philanthropy 
B)  organizational ingratiation 
C)  philanthropic deception 
D)  corporate social responsibility

Question 9

Which of the following statements about buzz marketing is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Buzz marketing relies heavily on TV and print media 
B)  Buzz marketing depends upon the selling power of celebrity endorsers 
C)  Buzz marketing relies on word-of-mouth recommendations 
D)  Buzz marketing is aimed at young, urban consumers

Question 10

A girl tells her mom, "But all the other kids are doing it." This phrase illustrates:

Accepted Answer

A)  social proof 
B)  social judgment theory 
C)  deindividuation 
D)  groupthink

Question 11

The issue of mindfulness is a concern when relying on self-reports because

Accepted Answer

A)  respondents want to abide by socially acceptable norms of conduct 
B)  respondents tend to respond in favor of the position they think the researcher advocates 
C)  respondents are caught off guard when they contemplate their own attitudes 
D)  respondents do not know their own minds

Question 12

According to Gass & Seiter, persuasion

Accepted Answer

A)  occurs primarily in the mass media 
B)  is rare in the natural or "hard" sciences 
C)  is more common in mediated than non-mediated settings 
D)  occurs in a variety of non-obvious or even weird contexts

Question 13

Which of the following groups of receivers would tend to rely less on credibility as a peripheral cue and more on the content or substance of a message?

Accepted Answer

A)  alumni of a college where a tuition hike was being considered 
B)  students at a college where a tuition hike was being considered 
C)  faculty at a college where a tuition hike was being considered 
D)  students at a different college than the one considering a tuition hike

Question 14

Marla tries to smooth problems between members of her team so that no one will appear foolish. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  facework 
B)  ingratiation 
C)  sociability 
D)  dynamism 
E)  composure

Question 15

Hesitations are a form of powerless language. An example of a hesitation is

Accepted Answer

A)  "sort of." 
B)  "well, you know." 
C)  "very." 
D)  "isn't it?"

Question 16

Which of the following focuses on whether the recipient of a fear appeal can personally carry out the recommendation that is made?

Accepted Answer

A)  fear control 
B)  coping capability 
C)  danger control 
D)  perceived vulnerability 
E)  self-efficacy

Question 17

You advise a friend to enroll in Professor Windplenty's class because "he's an easy 'A.'" A stranger in the registration line overhears you and decides to sign up for the same professor. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  peripheral persuasion 
B)  the "grapevine" effect 
C)  the bystander phenomenon 
D)  the unintended receiver effect

Question 18

In 1972, an Associated Press photographer named Nic Ut took a picture of a South Vietnamese girl, Kim Phuc, running down the road, naked, after her village was napalmed by U.S. planes. The photo, which won Ut a Pulitzer Prize, captured the horror and futility of the U.S.' military involvement in Viet Nam. The persuasive power of this photo is derived from its

Accepted Answer

A)  indexicality 
B)  syntactic indeterminacy 
C)  iconicity 
D)  impressionism

Question 19

Andy asked Marsha if he could borrow her laptop. She agreed. Then Andy asked her if she wouldn't mind if he borrowed her car. Andy was engaging in which compliance-gaining strategy?

Accepted Answer

A)  door in the face 
B)  face in the door 
C)  foot in the door 
D)  pregiving

Question 20

Sentiment tracking is most closely associated with

Accepted Answer

A)  social media 
B)  print advertising 
C)  television advertisements 
D)  word of mouth

Exam 1: Why Study Persuasion

people are cast in commercials that seek to emphasize trustworthiness, whereas people are cast into commercials that seek to portray expertise.