Chapter 6: Resisting Persuasive Messages Flashcards
attitude innoculation
the process of making people IMMUNE to attempts to change their attitudes by exposing them to small doses of the arguments AGAINST their position.
Like when you protect someone from getting a disease by giving them bits of the disease in small doses.
how can attitude innoculation be effective in resisting attacks on our attitudes.
those who had formulated arguments FOR THEIR OPINION were less likely to be persuaded by messages attacking the value of their opinion.
if people are able to resist an attack on their attitudes, they may actually come to hold those attitudes with greater certainty as a result.
a way that advertisers can counteract the tendency for people to “tune out” ads
product placement in the show they’re watching. people do not realize that someone is trying ti influence their attitudes and behavior.
cognitive dissonance
a feeling of discomfort caused by the realization that one’s behavior is inconsistent with one’s attitudes or that one holds two conflicting attitudes.
most common method of mitigating dissonance and condition in which this is implemented
changing out attitudes to bring them in line with our behavior.
this only works if our attitude towards something isn’t that strong. if a topic is really importnat, we are less liekly to reduce dissonance by changing that attitude. we may change our behavior instead to bring it inline with the dissonant cognition.
methods of reducing dissonance
1) change behavior
2) change cognitions
3) add consonant cognitions (exemptions to the rules)
post decision dissonance? how do you reduce it?
dissonance that is inevitably aroused after a person makes a decision, such dissonance is typically reduced by ENHANCING the attractiveness of the CHOSEN alternative and DEVALUING the REJECTED alternatives, even if they ranked the two equally prior to a decision
the ____ and less __ the decision, the greater the need to reduce dissonance.
the MORE PERMANENT and less REVOKABLE the decision, the greater the need to reduce dissonance.
in terms of dissonance and immorality:
people who had cheated become more ____ towards cheating, and those who had resisted the temtation to cheat become more ____ toward cheating.
people who had cheated become more LENIENT towards cheating, and those who had resisted the temPtation to cheat become more HARSH/AGAINST toward cheating.
the areas of the brain that are active during dissonance inblude the ____, ___ cortex.
STRIATUM, AND PREFRONTAL CORTEX. (site involved in planning and decision making)
what type of brain activity do you see when you present someone with dissonant info? What if consonance?
researchers found that the reasoning areas of the brain virtually shut down when people were confronted with dissonant info.
the emotion circuits of the brain lit up happily when consonance was restored.
justification of effort
the tendency for individuals to increase their liking for something they have worked hard to attain in order to not feel foolish. (method of reducing dissonance by chainging their attitude –> you like something more than before)
external justification
a person’s reason or explanation for dissonant behavior that resides outside the individual (ex/ to receive a large reward or avoid a severe punishment)
internal justification
the reduction of dissonance by changing something about oneself (ex/ ones attitude or behavior)
counter-attitudinal advocacy
the process that occurs when a person states an opinion or attitude that runs counter to his or her private belief or attitude, OFTEN RESULTING IN BELIEVING THE LIE WE TOLD.
