Attitudes and Persuasion

Question 1

What is an attitude?

Answer 1

There are numerous definitions of attitudes resulting in many models. Unitary models, Dual models and Tripartite models.

Question 2

Unitary model states that attitudes are made up of 1 component. What is this?

Answer 2

1. Affective evaluation (Thurstone, 1931)

Question 3

Dual model states that attitudes are made up of 2 components. What are they?

Answer 3

1. Mental readiness

2. Guide evaluative responses (Allport, 1935)

Question 4

Tripartite model states that attitudes are made up of 3 components. What are they?

Answer 4

1. Affect
2. Behaviour
3. Cognition

Question 5

Give behavioural ways of how attitudes are formed?

Answer 5

1. Mere exposure
2. Classical conditioning
3. Instrumental conditioning
4. Observational learning

Question 6

Give cognitive ways of how attitudes are formed?

Answer 6

1. Information integration theory
2. Mood-as-information hypothesis
3. Heuristic/ associative processing
4. Self-perception theory

Question 7

Information integration theory states that attitudes are formed by…

Answer 7

‘averaging’ available information on object

Question 8

Self-perception theory states that attitudes are formed by…

Answer 8

inferring attitudes from own behaviour (Bem, 1960)

Question 9

Likert scales are commonly used to measure attitudes. What is a likely problem with this type of self report?

Answer 9

Acquiescent response set-when questions are phrased in a positive way for example, there is a tendency to agree with the items.

Question 10

How can you counteract an acquiescent response set?

Answer 10

By mixing positively and negatively phrased items

Question 11

What are implicit attitudes based on?

Answer 11

They are based on activation of construct activating another construct.

Question 12

Fazio’s Automatic Activation Model states that..

Answer 12

attitudes can be activated automatically by the mere exposure of the attitude object & the strength of the object-evaluation association determines the likelihood of such activation.

Question 13

Which famous study in America in the 1930’s showed that attitudes weakly correlated with behaviour?

Answer 13

LaPiere’s hoteliers and restaurants attitudes towards Asians in the USA

Question 14

Attitudes alone will not always predict behaviour. Which theory take this into consideration?

Answer 14

Fishbeins’s (1967)Expectancy-Value Model of Attitudes

Question 15

Expectancy-Value Model of Attitudes takes into consideration that interaction between attitudes, beliefs and which other two things are important?

Answer 15

Values and intentions

Question 16

Multiplying a belief by a value for that belief to produce an attitude score is central to which attitude model?

Answer 16

Expectancy-Value Model

Question 17

Which theory was developed from Expectancy-Value Model?

Answer 17

Ajzen &Fishbeins’ 1980 Theory of Reasoned Action

Question 18

Which theory was developed from the Theory of Reasoned Action?

Answer 18

Theory of Planned Behaviour

Question 19

What extra component does the theory of planned behaviour add to the theory of reasoned action doesn’t?

Answer 19

Perceived behavioural control which affects intentions and thus behaviour

Question 20

The theory of reasoned action and planned behaviour state that attitudes and …. influence intentions and thus behaviour.

Answer 20

subjective norms

Question 21

Fazio’s (1990) MODE (Motivation and Opportunity as determinants of processing) model

Answer 21

The MODE model argues that opportunity and motivation must both be present in order for your behaviour to not be determined by your attitude.

Question 22

What are the features of persuasive communication?

Answer 22

Source or communicator, message and audience

Question 23

Does fear work in persuasion? Describe McGuire’s Inverted U hypothesis.

Answer 23

Messages with too little fear or too much result in low attitude change.

Question 24

Strong fear appeals and high….? messages produce greatest behaviour change.

Answer 24

high efficacy

Question 25

Focusing on gains is useful for behaviours perceived as low or high in risk?

Answer 25

low