Midterm #2 Flashcards
Persuasion?
The process of deliberately tying to change someone’s attitudes or behaviour
what determines how successful persuasion is?
Message
who delivers the message
the audience
what accompanies credibility/being perceived as an expert?
- trustworthy/sincere (messages more effective when it seems like messenger has nothing to gain)
- when it seems like message isn’t designed to sway (overheard communicator trick)
- Likeable
- Attractive
- Similar
take home about fear
high fear condition was least effective
low fear condition was most effective
too much fear + helpless = overwhelm, ppl tun out
if using fear, offer an action-based solution
Characteristics that make audience more easily persuadable?
good mood
young in age (impressionable years hypothesis?)
low self-esteem (maybe ppl high just don’t admit they were persuaded tho?)
Reactance?
unpleasant emotional response experienced when someone tries to restrict our personal freedom
What can decrease effectiveness of persuasion tactics?
Forewarning (we review our position, collect our thoughts, develop a defence)
Petty and Capacio Elaboratio Likelihood model
depending on their motivation, ppl perceive persuasive messages in one of two routes:
Central/systematic
Peripheral/heuristic
What determines which ELM route is taken?
a. people’s motivation to think about/pay attention to message (relevance)
b. people’s ability to understand contents of message
what is cognitive dissonance?
state of psychological discomfort when we are aware of the inconstancies between our behaviour and attitudes
what are some ways to deal with cog diss?
change behaviour
change beliefs
dismiss evidence
hang out with like-minded ppl
focus on other beliefs that are exceptions
convince yourself some element of what you’re doing makes it not the same
lesser of two evils argument
what is the less leads to more effect?
offering ppl small rewards for engaging in a counter-attitudinal behaviour produces more dissonance, so more attitude change than offering a larger reward
factors affecting dissonance
can ppl justify their behaviour?
are they in control of their behaviour/choosing?
how invested are ppl in their attitudes?
Reasons proximity leads to liking
mere exposure effect
familiarity
we expect to see them in the future, and know that things are better when we get along (both in the moment and for the future)
easier to obtain social rewards from ppl who are closer to us
Why is similarity related?
Having ppl who agree with us is rewarding
Target centred determinants
Similarity, reciprocity, physical attractiveness,
Reasons we like attractive ppl?
aesthetic appeal?
halo effect?
social profit effects?
Radiation vs contrast effect
radiation: ppl tend to be rated as more attractive when they are seen with attractive ppl (for same sex pairs and for the less attractive men of opposite sex pairs)
contrast effect: a person of average attractiveness is rated as more attractive if others have just seen a less attractive and vice versa
what is passionate love?
a state of intense longing for union with another person
3 conditions
1. know what passionate love is
2. physiological arousal
3. someone to project this onto that we can believe is responsible for causing our physiological arousal
three types of social influence
a. compliance
b. obedience
c. conformity
what is compliance?
changes in behaviour that are brought on by a direct request (flattery, guilting, manipulation techniques, enhance similarity, promises, threats, negotiating)
what is compliance?
changes in behaviour that are brought on by a direct request (flattery, guilting, manipulation techniques, enhance similarity, promises, threats, negotiating)
What are principles that influence compliance?
reciprocity, scarcity, commitment, consistency
what is obedience?
changes in behaviour as the result of demands of an authority figure
factors influencing obedience
physical appearance of authority figure use of gradual increments pace of experiment shift of responsibility off of participant nearness of the learner volunteering + being paid (obligation) setting being high in authoritarianism (respect for AF)
How to avoid blind obedience?
emphasize responsibility, have someone else disobey first, teach ppl about findings about obedience, give them ammo to question authority figure’s cause
conformity
tendency to change our attitudes, beliefs, behaviours to be more consistent with those around us
social norms: unspoken but shared rules about common, everyday behaviours
descriptive: tells us what other ppl do, how they typically behave (clothes)
injunctive norms: describes what we ought to do
Factors that influence conformity
group size (inc from 2-3/4) unanimity attractiveness of group age (adolescences) gender culture status in group writing down answers
motive for conformity can be:
- bc of normative social influence
2. because of private acceptance
types of influence:
a. normative social influence: going along to be well-perceived/liked
b. informational influence: going along to be right (more likely in uncertain situations)
routes to successful minority influence
consistency
being on the same page (no wavering!)
exploit informational influence, probably can’t exert normative
unintentional types of social influence
emotional contagion, symbolic social influence, modeling
