Question 1

____________ occurs when we encounter new information, requiring some judgment or evaluation.

Accepted Answer

Response shaping occurs when we encounter new information and need to form a judgment or evaluation, as it involves creating a new response or attitude.

Question 2

____________ are people's deeply held judgments about worth or importance of various aspects of their lives.

Accepted Answer

Values are people's deeply held judgments about worth or importance of various aspects of their lives. Attitudes refer to our feelings or opinions about something, beliefs are our assumptions or convictions about something, motives are the driving forces behind our actions, and faiths refer to our spiritual or religious beliefs.

Question 3

Psychologist Abraham Maslow argued that human beings are motivated to pursue a hierarchy of needs-that is, there are a number of fundamental human needs that people pursue to ensure their survival and happiness. Among them was self-actualization, the need to ___________.

Accepted Answer

Self-actualization refers to the need to achieve one's full potential, including personal growth, fulfillment, and creativity. It involves a focus on personal growth and a desire to be the best one can be in life.

Question 4

In an attempt to use _________ to convince people to stop smoking, government officials have proposed removing all brand identification from packs of cigarettes, replacing it with graphic images of damaged lungs and cancerous mouths.

Accepted Answer

The use of graphic images of damaged lungs and cancerous mouths is an example of a fear appeal, which aims to elicit fear in individuals to encourage them to change their behavior.

Question 5

According to the Elaboration Likelihood model, the ______ route of information processing brings as much scrutiny and analysis to the message as possible.

Accepted Answer

The Elaboration Likelihood model proposes two routes of information processing, the central and peripheral routes. The central route involves detailed analysis and scrutiny of the message, while the peripheral route involves relying on superficial cues such as the source of the message or the emotions it evokes. Therefore, the best choice is B, central.

Question 6

You want to learn as much as you can about the National Guard before you decide to enlist, and the packet of information you've been sent is quite detailed, but you are just too busy with school to give it your full attention. More than likely your processing of the information you've received will take place along the _________ route.

Accepted Answer

The peripheral route is characterized by the processing of information based on superficial factors, such as the credibility or attractiveness of the source. In this scenario, the individual is too busy to give the information their full attention, and so is more likely to process it based on peripheral cues, rather than engaging in deep thought and analysis.

Question 7

Compliance occurs when a person ____________.

Accepted Answer

Compliance occurs when a person accepts influence from a persuader but there is no real change in their original attitude. They do so in order to gain a favorable reaction or some other benefit from the persuader. Option B is actually an example of noncompliance or resistance, while options C and D are more focused on negotiation or conflict resolution. Option E is more reflective of a decision-making process, rather than compliance.

Question 8

___________is intentionally trying to shape, reinforce, or change the responses of others.

Accepted Answer

Persuasion involves intentionally trying to shape, reinforce, or change the responses of others by presenting an argument or message in a convincing way. Compliance refers to the act of agreeing to do something requested by another person. Expertise refers to the knowledge and skills someone has in a particular area. Involvement refers to the level of personal investment or interest a person has in a particular issue or activity. Influence encompasses all of these concepts and refers to the ability to have an effect on the opinions, emotions, or behaviors of others. However, persuasion best fits the definition given in the question.

Question 9

Whenever we speak, we hope to accomplish some goal; that is, we have intentions. So your hearty "Hello" to your friends in the student union is clearly designed to do more than acknowledge their existence. You want them to think well of you. This is the basic premise behind___________.

Accepted Answer

Speech acts theory focuses on the intentions behind utterances, suggesting that when we speak, we do so with specific goals or intentions in mind, beyond the mere conveyance of information.

Question 10

When communication deepens our commitment to already-held attitudes or behaviors, ________ has occurred.

Accepted Answer

Response reinforcing occurs when communication deepens our commitment to already-held attitudes or behaviors, which means that we become more likely to continue with our current attitudes or behaviors. Selective retention refers to remembering certain messages while forgetting others, rational argument refers to using logical reasoning to convince someone, response changing refers to communication leading to a change in attitudes or behaviors, and compliance refers to agreeing to a request from someone in a position of authority. None of these options specifically refer to the deepening of already-held attitudes or behaviors.

Question 11

Your parents had set a curfew of 10:00 p.m. But your demonstration of responsibility highlighted by your improving grades and helping around the house persuaded them to lift the curfew. This is an example of ___________.

Accepted Answer

Response changing occurs when an individual's behavior is altered or modified due to new information or experiences, in this case, the improved grades and helpfulness at home leading to a change in the parents' rules.

Question 12

Helpfulness, trust, family, freedom, education, truth, equal rights, security, and childhood are examples of ______________.

Accepted Answer

These words are examples of values, which are principles or standards that an individual or group considers important in life.

Question 13

You have faith that your college basketball team is adhering to the strictest collegiate rules for academic eligibility. Because it can be proven or disproven, it is a _______ belief in your team.

Accepted Answer

This is a descriptive belief because it is based on factual evidence and can be proven or disproven. It is not prescriptive because it does not involve recommending or prescribing a certain course of action. It is not evaluative because it does not involve making a judgment about the value or quality of the team. It is not attitudinal because it does not involve expressing a positive or negative sentiment towards the team. It is not faith-based because it is not based on personal belief without evidence.

Question 14

"I believe otters sleep holding hands" is _______________.

Accepted Answer

This is a descriptive belief as it is stating a fact about the behavior of otters.

Question 15

Joe is strongly conservative and is likely to watch only Fox News reports that present his side of the issues in a favorable way and he avoids channels such as MSNBC that tilt to the political left. By doing so, Joe avoids uncomfortable feelings associated with contradictory information and is practicing ____________.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive consistency refers to the tendency to seek out information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs and to avoid information that is inconsistent with those beliefs. By watching only Fox News and avoiding MSNBC, Joe is seeking cognitive consistency and avoiding discomfort from contradictory information. The other choices are not applicable in this scenario.

Question 16

Source credibility is a receiver's perception of a source's ___________________.

Accepted Answer

Source credibility is determined by the receiver's perception of the source's expertise (knowledge and skills related to the topic) and trustworthiness (honesty and reliability). These factors contribute to the credibility or believability of the message being communicated by the source.

Question 17

Tony's Pizzeria runs radio commercials claiming that they make "America's Best Pizza" in an obvious example of _______.

Accepted Answer

This statement is an example of puffery, which is the use of exaggeration or over-the-top claims in advertising to create positive associations with a brand or product. It is not a factual claim that can be proven or disproven.

Question 18

Selective exposure is sometimes referred to as ____________.

Accepted Answer

Selective exposure refers to individuals' tendency to seek information that conforms to their existing beliefs and attitudes. Selective attention is a key component of this process, as it involves individuals actively choosing to pay attention to information that supports their views and to avoid information that challenges them.

Question 19

Expertise involves judgments of authoritativeness while trustworthiness involves judgments of _______________.

Accepted Answer

Expertise is about recognizing someone's authority or knowledge in a specific area, while trustworthiness is more about believing in someone's character and their ability to be trusted.

Question 20

Perceived similarity is a function of a persuasive target's perception of the persuader's ______ similarity.

Accepted Answer

Perceived similarity refers to a target's perception of similarity with a persuader. Two aspects of similarity can influence perceived similarity: attitudinal and membership similarity. Attitudinal similarity refers to the similarity in attitudes, values, and beliefs between the persuader and the target, whereas membership similarity refers to the similarity in group membership between the persuader and the target. Therefore, the best answer is C, which includes both attitudinal and membership similarity.

Quiz 13: Persuasion and Social Influence