Question 1

The social anxiety that makes it difficult for some people to say no to the requests of others seems to be linked to ______.

Accepted Answer

Social anxiety can cause individuals to worry excessively about how they are perceived by others and can lead to a fear of rejection or disapproval. This can make it difficult for them to say no to requests for fear of upsetting the other person or being seen as rude. Therefore, their thought patterns at the time the request is made would be a likely factor influencing their response.

Question 2

A salesperson promises you the item you want at a low price and you make a commitment to buy it. Then, the salesperson comes back and tells you that the item you committed to buy is no longer in stock, but that you can have a more expensive item at a "special" price that is still much more expensive than you had originally committed to spend. You have just been victimized by the ______ technique.

Accepted Answer

Lowballing is a technique where an item is initially offered at a lower price than is actually intended to be charged, after which the price is raised to increase profits. This scenario describes the lowballing technique, where the salesperson initially offers a low price to secure commitment and then raises the price, claiming the original item is no longer available.

Question 3

Prior warning that a persuasive appeal is coming tends to ______.

Accepted Answer

Prior warning of a persuasive appeal often makes people more resistant to it, as they have time to formulate counterarguments or mentally prepare themselves to resist the persuasion.

Question 4

Research indicates that each of the following can help a communicator's persuasiveness EXCEPT ______.

Accepted Answer

A fearsome image may actually diminish a communicator's persuasiveness because it may evoke negative emotions, such as fear or disgust, in the audience.

Question 5

Which of the following people are MOST likely to resist social pressure?

Accepted Answer

People with high self-esteem and low social anxiety are more likely to resist social pressure because they are confident in themselves and less concerned with being accepted by others. They are also more likely to make decisions based on their own beliefs and values, rather than conforming to the opinions of others.

Question 6

A person calls you on the phone and asks you to take a "few minutes" to complete a survey. Once you agree to this, the salesperson then asks if you would also agree to listen to a sales pitch for his/her product. When you agree to this, the salesperson then aggressively tries to sell you the product AND all the expensive attachments that go with it. This approach is a classic example of the ______ technique.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the foot-in-the-door technique, as the salesperson first asks for a small commitment (taking a survey), and then uses that to try and get a larger commitment (listening to a sales pitch).

Question 7

Studies on mood and persuasion indicate that ______.

Accepted Answer

Studies on mood and persuasion indicate that people are more likely to be affected by a persuasive message when they are in a good mood. This is because a positive mood can lead to a more receptive and open mindset.

Question 8

Each of the following is true of atrocities EXCEPT ______.

Accepted Answer

Atrocities can occur in any type of society, not just capitalistic ones. The other options all accurately describe common elements of atrocities.

Question 9

Surprising people with a persuasive message (as opposed to warning them ahead of time) tends to ______.

Accepted Answer

Surprising people with a persuasive message can catch them off guard and make them more receptive to the message. This is because people tend to pay more attention to something unexpected and may be more open to considering a new perspective in the moment.

Question 10

By exposing their followers to the arguments of the opposition, then refuting them, one-by-one, theologians and politicians ______.

Accepted Answer

By exposing their followers to the arguments of the opposition and then refuting them one-by-one, theologians and politicians are actually equipping their followers with a sort of psychological immunity to the arguments of the opposition. This allows their followers to engage in discourse with a more critical eye and a more informed perspective, which is essential in any democratic society.

Question 11

We are ______ influenced by the groups with which we interact.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that human beings are social creatures who are greatly influenced by the groups with which they interact. The opinions, beliefs, and behaviors of those around us often have a significant impact on our own attitudes and actions.

Question 12

The makers of Ivory soap often use real people who look so freshly scrubbed that you may think you can smell the soap through the television set. This is an example of using ______ to sell a product.

Accepted Answer

The use of "real people" who look fresh and clean is an example of attractiveness, or using the appeal of physical appearance to sell a product.

Question 13

A sales tactic involving initially offering shoddy merchandise at an extremely low price to get customers in the store, and then hard-selling higher-quality merchandise at a much higher price, is the ______ technique.

Accepted Answer

The sales tactic described is known as the bait and switch technique, where customers are lured in with a tempting offer (the shoddy merchandise at a low price) only to be presented with a higher-priced option once they are already committed to making a purchase. Lowballing refers to offering a low price initially and then raising it later, while foot-in-the-door and door-in-the-face techniques involve getting customers to agree to small requests before making larger ones.

Question 14

Research indicates that convincing communicators show each of the following EXCEPT ______.

Accepted Answer

Convincing communicators typically do not show novel differences in attitude from the audience, as this would potentially make them less relatable and credible to their audience. They typically display expertise, trustworthiness, and often attempt to appear attractive to their audience.

Question 15

A type of persuasive communication that influences behavior on the basis of feelings that are aroused instead of rational analysis of the issues is known as ______.

Accepted Answer

Emotional appeal is a type of persuasive communication that uses emotions to change attitudes and behavior. It focuses on creating an emotional response in the recipient rather than using rational arguments to persuade them. Examples include using fear, pity, happiness, or anger to influence behavior.

Question 16

The technique by which if you ask someone a small request and they agree, they are more likely to later agree to a larger, more intrusive request, is called the ______ technique.

Accepted Answer

The technique described is the foot-in-the-door technique, in which a small request is made and then a larger, more significant request is made later, once compliance has been established. Lowballing involves obtaining initial agreement to a request and then changing the terms of the request once agreement is obtained. Door-in-the-face involves making an initial large request that is likely to be refused, followed by a smaller request that is the actual target of persuasion. The bandwagon effect refers to the tendency for people to conform to the opinions or behaviors of a group.

Question 17

Research on using sex to sell products indicates that ______.

Accepted Answer

Research on using sex to sell products indicates that sex does sell, but only in some contexts. The effectiveness of using sex to sell a product depends on factors such as the target audience, product category, and the level of sexual suggestiveness used in the advertisement. Factors like these determine whether consumers will view the use of sex as appropriate and relevant to the product being sold. Therefore, it cannot be said that sex will increase sales in every context.

Question 18

When exposed to ads warning about the negative effects of sun tanning, students ______.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that people, especially younger individuals, are often more influenced by immediate and visible consequences, such as changes in appearance, than by more abstract and distant risks, such as the possibility of developing cancer in the future. This suggests that warnings about the risks to appearance from sun tanning can be more impactful.

Question 19

A method of persuasion in which extremely attractive terms are offered to induce a person to make a commitment, and then once the commitment is made the terms are revised, is the ______ technique.

Accepted Answer

The lowballing technique involves initially offering very attractive terms to get someone to commit to a decision, and then changing the terms after they have agreed, often making the deal less favorable for them. This method is commonly used in sales and negotiation tactics.

Question 20

John goes to the store to buy a DVD player advertised at an unbelievably low price. When he gets there he finds that the only one in stock is the floor model, which has several chips and nicks on it, and does not have many of the features the ad led him to believe it had. The salesperson then shows John several models that have the features he wants, but at a substantially higher price. This is an example of the ______ technique.

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of bait and switch, as the low-priced item advertised is not available or not as advertised, and the salesperson then pushes the customer to purchase a more expensive item instead.

Quiz 7: Social Influence: Being Influenced Byand Influencingothers