Question 1

Philip has no strong opinions about sports, but many people he knows love to play sports - football, basketball, volleyball, baseball. His friends frequently invite him to sporting events, and he starts attending. Over time, Philip reshapes his attitude about sports to be more positive, because he thinks having a positive attitude about sports will help him to fit in better with his peers. Which of the six functions of attitudes does Philip's change most reflect?

Accepted Answer

Philip's change in attitude reflects the social adjustive function of attitudes, as he is changing his attitude to fit in better with his peers and be more accepted socially.

Question 2

Monica generally doesn't think about the environment that much in her day to day life. In fact, she doesn't recycle anything and produces quite a bit of trash. She doesn't use energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs because they cost too much. She blasts the A/C all summer long and keeps the heat set very high all winter. When Monica hears for the first time on the news that wastefulness and high personal energy consumption levels are contributing to global warming, she dismisses it as wrong. She says, "All of that global warming stuff is just hogwash." Given what you know about Monica's way of living, what is the most likely function of her skeptical attitude about global warming?

Accepted Answer

Monica's skeptical attitude about global warming serves to defend her ego and justify her environmentally harmful behaviors. This is because accepting the reality of global warming would require her to acknowledge the negative impact of her actions on the environment and potentially lead to feelings of guilt or responsibility. By dismissing global warming as "hogwash," she avoids facing these uncomfortable emotions and justifies her behavior to herself.

Question 3

From the components of Reasoned Action Theory, which of the below would best account for a person's actions if they choose not to do something because they believe that there would be negative personal consequences for engaging in the behavior?

Accepted Answer

Attitude toward the behavior encompasses an individual's positive or negative evaluations of performing the behavior, including the anticipation of outcomes. In this case, the belief in negative personal consequences directly influences the person's attitude towards engaging in the behavior, leading them to choose not to do it.

Question 4

The key principle of Accessibility Theory is that ______.

Accepted Answer

The key principle of Accessibility Theory is that attitudes will predict behavior if they can be activated from memory at the time of a decision.

Question 5

Which of the following is likely to be true about a person who is a low self-monitor?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is likely to...

Question 6

Imagine you are a car salesperson. What strategies might you use to persuade a buyer whose attitude about cars or buying cars is social adjustive? Value-expressive? Utilitarian?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine you are a car salesperson. What...

Question 7

The passion for soccer (football) worldwide is unmatched by the devotion of any other fan base. What function(s) might an attitude toward soccer (football) serve? In what ways might a strong attitude about soccer (football) be dysfunctional?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The passion for soccer (football) worldwide is...

Question 8

How might the reasoned action model be used effectively in persuasion? Consider possibilities for its application in situations that encompass eating junk food, gender role occupational choices, safer sex, or exercise behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of How might the reasoned action model be...

Question 9

In the discussion of ethics at the end of the chapter, Perloff suggests, "Not every attitude-behavior inconsistency counts as hypocrisy." Defend or challenge this position.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the discussion of ethics at the...

Quiz 6: Attitudes: Functions and Consequences