In a study by Hovland and Weiss, subjects heard arguments regarding the feasibility of atomic submarines. Subjects were more persuaded by physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer rather than the Soviet newspaper Pravda because:
A) Oppenheimer was an attractive source, and thus subjects wished to identify with him
B) Oppenheimer was perceived as an expert and trustworthy source of information, unlike Pravda
C) Oppenheimer's arguments contained vivid examples, whereas Pravda presented the information in the form of statistics
D) subjects knew that Pravda was arguing against its own self-interest and thus could not be trusted

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hovland and Weiss found that subjects were more persuaded by Oppenheimer because he was perceived as an expert and trustworthy source of information, unlike the Soviet newspaper Pravda. This suggests that perceived expertise and trustworthiness of the source can influence persuasion.

In a Study by Hovland and Weiss, Subjects Heard Arguments