Question 1

A definition which limits persuasion to symbolic action

Accepted Answer

A)  would say all persuasion exists in the world of words 
B)  would say most behavior is persuasive in nature 
C)  would say protests, marches, demonstrations, and sit-ins were part of persuasion 
D)  would say physical characteristics such as height or attractiveness are part of persuasion

Question 2

Simon Cowell is known for humiliating contestants by criticizing their singing ability and even their physical appearance. Yet many viewers think he is a good judge of talent and that his scathing comments, while sometimes cruel, are also on target. Simon would best be described as:

Accepted Answer

A)  high in all three primary credibility dimensions 
B)  high in expertise and high in sociability 
C)  high in expertise and low in goodwill 
D)  low in expertise and high in trustworthiness 
E)  low in expertise and low in goodwill

Question 3

The unintended receiver effect illustrates one problem with relying on ____________ to define persuasion

Accepted Answer

A)  intentionality 
B)  effects 
C)  free will 
D)  symbolic action

Question 4

Credibility tends to exert a greater influence on receivers when

Accepted Answer

A)  receiver involvement is high 
B)  receiver involvement is moderate 
C)  receiver involvement is low 
D)  the topic or issue is important to receivers.

Question 5

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis posits that:

Accepted Answer

A)  meanings are in people not in words 
B)  language is constantly evolving and changing 
C)  images are more persuasive than words 
D)  language influences the nature of thought processes 
E)  the word is not the thing

Question 6

Which persuasion theory includes a motivation to comply component"?

Accepted Answer

A)  heuristic-systematic model (HSM) 
B)  elaboration likelihood model (ELM) 
C)  theory of reasoned action (TR
A)  
D)  reinforcement expectancy theory (RET)

Question 7

Images, by themselves, lack logical operators and, therefore, cannot convey "cause-effect," "either-or," or "if-then" relationships. This refers to which property of images?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

For the principle of scarcity to be an effective persuasive strategy, it must succeed in creating ________________ in the persuadee.

Accepted Answer

A)  expectancy violations 
B)  psychological reactance 
C)  artifacts 
D)  chronemics

Question 9

Based upon findings from the "swear word" booklets of E. Scott Baudhuin (1973), _________ profanities are the least offensive category of profanity.

Accepted Answer

A)  sexual 
B)  excretory 
C)  absurdities 
D)  religious

Question 10

Kleinke's (1980) study on eye contact at airports suggests that

Accepted Answer

A)  looking at a person while making illegitimate requests increases persuasiveness. 
B)  looking away while making illegitimate requests increases persuasiveness. 
C)  eye contact when requesting money increases persuasiveness. 
D)  people gave out money only if requesters appeared destitute and trustworthy.

Question 11

Biff has just seen an ad in the paper for a new Nissan pickup truck for $15,000. He hurries to his local dealership but is disappointed to learn that the truck is already been sold. "Don't worry," the salesman tells him, "I can make you a terrific deal on a similar truck for only a few dollars more per month." Which of the following tactics is the salesman using?

Accepted Answer

A)  lowball 
B)  disrupt then reframe 
C)  door in the face 
D)  bait and switch

Question 12

Within the African-American community, individuals with lighter skin tone tend to receive preferential treatment compared to individuals with darker skin tone. This general preference is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  color coding 
B)  stereotyping 
C)  pigment prejudice 
D)  melanin mindset 
E)  color complex

Question 13

_______________ are more easily influenced by reference groups than ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  High self monitors, low self monitors 
B)  Low dogs, high dogs 
C)  Males, females 
D)  Involved, uninvolved

Question 14

Persuaders who target particular "niche" groups, such as soccer moms, Nascar dads, affluent gays, or Hispanic teens, are using

Accepted Answer

A)  focus groups. 
B)  segmentation. 
C)  telemarketing. 
D)  polling.

Question 15

Babbs tells her friend Delilah that she can't stand her drama teacher because he is so mean. Who or what is the attitude object?

Accepted Answer

A)  Babbs 
B)  Delilah 
C)  the drama teacher 
D)  the role of "friend"

Question 16

According to the text, Colombians' influence attempts center around the concept of confianza, or

Accepted Answer

A)  saving face. 
B)  hinting. 
C)  "feeding people what they relish." 
D)  having trust or closeness in a relationship.

Question 17

Abby and Giovanni attended an art show and listened to an artist speak about the lack of funding for the arts. Abby did not find the topic personally relevant. On the contrary, Giovanni was very passionate about the topic. Based on the ELM, how will Abby and Giovanni process the speaker's argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  Giovanni will focus on the amount of arguments provided, and Abby will focus on the number of strong arguments. 
B)  Abby will focus on the number of strong arguments, and Giovanni will focus on the speaker's introduction and conclusion. 
C)  Abby will focus on the amount of arguments provided, and Giovanni will focus on the number of strong arguments. 
D)  Both Abby and Giovanni will listen to the evidence provided, yet Giovanni will count the number of weak arguments and Abby will count the number of strong arguments.

Question 18

Which of the following is the most sophisticated type of design logic?

Accepted Answer

A)  conventional 
B)  expressive 
C)  rhetorical 
D)  offensive

Question 19

In her opening remarks to a jury, a defense attorney informs the jury that the prosecution will try to portray her client as a monster. She asks them to keep an open mind until they've heard all the evidence. The defense attorney is using

Accepted Answer

A)  distraction. 
B)  bracketing. 
C)  psychological reactance. 
D)  forewarning.

Question 20

A litmus test for distinguishing persuasion from social influence is

Accepted Answer

A)  social influence is coercive, persuasion is not 
B)  social influence requires conscious awareness, persuasion does not 
C)  persuasion is intentional, social influence is not 
D)  persuasive is effective, social influence is not

Exam 1: Why Study Persuasion