Question 1

Reggie is busy trying to prepare a complicated recipe for dinner when his sons come in asking him who can use the computer first.One son,Jason,gives a long explanation about why he needs it,and goes on for some time.The other son,Cameron,just gives a short explanation.If Reggie is processing these arguments via the heuristic route,who is he most likely to give computer privileges to first?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Reggie is busy trying to prepare a...

Question 2

Recall that Howard Leventhal and his colleagues (1967)showed one group of smokers a film depicting the ravages of lung cancer,gave another group of smokers a pamphlet with instructions on how to quit smoking,and exposed a third group to both the film and the pamphlets.People in the last group reduced their smoking significantly more than people in the other two groups because people who only

Accepted Answer

The combination of both the film and the pamphlet provided both motivation and practical guidance, leading to a greater reduction in smoking. Those who only received the pamphlet lacked the motivation provided by the film.

Question 3

When it comes to designing a persuasive message,the authors assert that "It is best to fight fire with fire." By this,they meant that

Accepted Answer

The statement "It is best to fight fire with fire" implies that the most effective way to persuade someone is to use the same approach or type of message appeal that matches their attitude. This is consistent with the authors' argument that persuasive messages are more effective when tailored to the recipient's attitudes and beliefs. Emotion and logic can both be powerful persuasive forces, depending on the individual's attitudes and the context in which the message is being presented, but the statement does not specifically refer to which type of appeal is more effective overall. Getting someone's attention and addressing prior attitudes may be important components of a persuasive message, but these ideas are not directly related to the statement "fight fire with fire."

Question 4

You've just learned that your younger brother has begun having sex.You are concerned about his health and the health of his partner,and because abstinence doesn't seem reasonable to expect,you have decided to have a serious talk with him.What is the best thing to do?

Accepted Answer

Instilling fear alone may not be enough to make your brother take action. It is important to provide him with practical information on how to protect himself and his partner. By showing him where to get condoms and how to use them, you are equipping him with the tools he needs to practice safe sex. Additionally, you can have an open and honest conversation with him about the risks and consequences of unprotected sex, while also emphasizing that you are there to support him through this time.

Question 5

"I like sex,but not enough to die for it," says a young woman in an ad designed to persuade people to use condoms if they are sexually active.Why might this approach be ineffective? If people

Accepted Answer

Fear-based approaches can backfire if they induce too much fear, causing people to avoid thinking about the issue rationally.

Question 6

In most stores,owners provide background music for shoppers.Now,this music may not be to everyone's taste,but from the perspective of social psychologists who study routes to persuasion,it is probably designed to ____,and thus to ____

Accepted Answer

In-store background music is often designed to put shoppers in a good mood, which can make products more attractive to them and increase the likelihood of making a purchase. This is known as the "arousal-then-capture" route to persuasion, where positive emotional arousal first captures attention and then increases the likelihood of behavior that aligns with that emotion (in this case, buying products in the store).

Question 7

When we seek to infer our attitudes,one reason that relying on moods or emotions as heuristics can mislead us is that

Accepted Answer

Moods or emotions can be triggered by a variety of factors, and we may not always know the true source of our emotions. Therefore, relying on them as heuristics to infer our attitudes can be misleading.

Question 8

Shelly Chaiken (1987)and other proponents of the heuristic-systematic model of persuasion assert that emotions often signal us as to our true attitudes.By this they mean that

Accepted Answer

According to the heuristic-systematic model of persuasion, emotions can serve as a heuristic or mental shortcut for assessing our attitudes. This means that when we encounter a message or situation that elicits an emotional response, we may use that feeling to quickly determine how we feel about the topic. This process is part of the heuristic or automatic processing mode, which relies on mental shortcuts rather than careful analysis of message content. Therefore, option B is the correct answer as it accurately reflects the role of emotions in this model.

Question 9

The authors of your text suggest that when trying to determine our attitude about something,we often rely on the ____ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The "How do I feel about it?" heuristic refers to the tendency to rely on our emotional reaction or gut feeling when making judgments or forming opinions about something. This can be a quick and efficient way to make decisions, but it can also be biased and lead to errors in judgment.

Question 10

George is trying to decide which of two used cars to buy.He test drives each,listening to the radio while he does so.While he is test driving the Honda,his favorite song comes on the radio.George tells his friend,"I know the Toyota is a bit better of a deal,but somehow the Honda just feels better to me." If the reason that the Honda feels better is that George liked the song that he heard while driving it,his decision is being influenced by

Accepted Answer

George's decision is being influenced by misattribution of emotion, as he is liking the Honda more not because of any rational reasons but because he happened to hear his favorite song while test driving it.

Question 11

"Experts are always right" and "Length equals strength" are some examples of how ____ can be used in persuasion.

Accepted Answer

These statements are examples of heuristics, which are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that people use to make judgments and decisions quickly and efficiently. The heuristic of expert authority suggests that people are more likely to be persuaded by someone who is perceived as an expert in the relevant domain. The heuristic of length equals strength suggests that people are more likely to be persuaded by a message that is longer, more detailed, or more complex, even if the additional information is irrelevant or unimportant.

Question 12

The ____ model of persuasion asserts that attitudes may change because people attend to the merits of an argument,or because they use such cognitive shortcuts as "The faster a person talks,the more she knows about the issue."

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ____ model of persuasion asserts that...

Question 13

There is an exception to the general rule that logical,informative messages will be highly persuasive when the issue is relevant to the audience.What is that exception?

Accepted Answer

When the attitude is based on values and feelings rather than on facts and logic, even a logical and informative message may not be persuasive. This is because values and feelings are deeply ingrained and are not easily changed by logical arguments. In such cases, messages that appeal to emotions and values may be more effective.

Question 14

According to the heuristic-systematic model of persuasion,when people use the peripheral route of persuasion,they rely on

Accepted Answer

The heuristic-systematic model of persuasion suggests that when individuals use the peripheral route of persuasion, they rely on heuristics, or mental shortcuts, rather than cognitive arguments or the strength of the argument. This may include using cues such as the credibility of the speaker or the emotional tone of the message to make a quick judgment about the persuasive message without engaging in deep cognitive processing. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Question 15

Recall that Howard Leventhal and his colleagues (1967)showed one group of smokers a film depicting the ravages of lung cancer,gave another group of smokers a pamphlet with instructions on how to quit smoking,and exposed a third group to both the film and the pamphlets.People in the last group reduced their smoking significantly more than people in the other two groups because

Accepted Answer

The combination of fear arousal from the film and the practical instructions from the pamphlet provided a means to reduce that fear, leading to a significant reduction in smoking.

Question 16

Recall that Howard Leventhal and his colleagues (Leventhal,Watts,& Pagano,1967)showed some smokers a graphic film about lung cancer and gave them a pamphlet with instructions on how to quit; other smokers received either the pamphlet alone,or watched the grisly film.After three months,those smokers who received only the pamphlet with instructions were smoking significantly more than those who both saw the film and received the pamphlet.Why?

Accepted Answer

The study suggests that information alone (in the form of the pamphlet) is not sufficient to change behavior if individuals are not motivated to use it. The group that received both the film and the pamphlet likely had increased motivation due to the emotional impact of the graphic film.

Question 17

It can be tricky to use fear-arousing communication properly; a moderate amount can lead people to ____ and too much can lead people to ____.

Accepted Answer

Fear-arousing communication can be effective in persuading people through the central route when it is presented in a moderate amount. However, when it is too extreme, it can lead people to become defensive and reject the message.

Question 18

Fear-arousing persuasive messages are targeted to the ____ basis of attitudes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fear-arousing persuasive messages are targeted to the...

Question 19

Sandy is trying to decide which new soft drink to try.She decides to try "Bliss Mist" because it has a prettier bottle and the theme song is running through her head.Sandy is using the ____ heuristic to make her decision.

Accepted Answer

Sandy is making her decision based on her emotional response (theme song and pretty bottle) rather than any rational or factual information about the soft drink. This aligns with the "How do I feel about it?" heuristic, which is based on emotional reactions to stimuli.

Question 20

Using the "How do I feel about it?" heuristic can be problematic because we can make mistakes about what is causing our feelings.This idea is related to which other ideas in social psychology?

Accepted Answer

The "How do I feel about it?" heuristic is a form of misattribution, which involves attributing our feelings to the wrong source. This idea is related to the concept of reasons-generated attitude change, which occurs when we attribute our feelings to specific reasons that may not actually be accurate. This is a common problem in social psychology research and can lead to incorrect conclusions about why people behave in certain ways.

Quiz 7: Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing Thoughts and Feelings