Partial test 1 week 5 ELM, SJT and cognitive dissonance

Question 1

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) by …

Answer 1

Richard Petty and John Cacioppo

Question 2

Main aim of the Elaboration likelihood model

Answer 2

To explain how an attitude change (persuasion) can take place by looking at peoples motivation and ability to think.

Question 3

What is the ‘dual process model’ of ELM

Answer 3

People can process information in two ways; the central route and the peripheral route

Question 4

What are the two factors that influence on which route someone processes new information?

Answer 4

1. Motivation (are you willing to think?)

2. Ability (can you think?)

Question 5

Explain what causes someone to have motivation to think about new information

Answer 5

1. It has to be of personal relevance (characteristic of situation)
2. The person has a need for cognition (characteristic of person)

Question 6

Explain what causes someone to have ability to think about new information

Answer 6

1. There should be no distraction (characteristic of situation)
2. There has to be a certain level of intelligence or prior knowledge (characteristic of person)

Question 7

Characteristics of processing information on the central route

Answer 7

• High elaboration likelihood
• Sufficient motivation and ability
• Thorough level of information processing

Question 8

Characteristics of processing information on the peripheral route

Answer 8

• Low elaboration likelihood
• Insufficient motivation and ability
• Superficial level of information processing

Question 9

How does someone on the central route get persuaded?

Answer 9

Strong arguments

Question 10

How does someone on the peripheral route get persuaded?

Answer 10

By peripherals, like;

• The bandwagon effect
• The opinion of ‘experts’
• Brand coolness

Question 11

What is the attitude outcome of someone that processed information via the central route?

Answer 11

When positive initial attitude; Strong positive attitude

When negative initial attitude and/or weak arguments; Strong negative attitude (boomerang effect)

Question 12

What is the attitude outcome of someone that processed information via the peripheral route?

Answer 12

Weak positive or negative attitude that is easy to be changed or influenced

Question 13

Explain ‘biased elaboration’

Answer 13

People already have given the topic a lot of thought and have already formed a very strong opinion, they are therefore extremely difficult to persuade.

Question 14

What are the characteristics of a strong attitude?

Answer 14

1. It is accessible
2. It is persistent (will resist counter arguments
3. It predicts someone’s behaviour

Question 15

What are the characteristics of a weak attitude?

Answer 15

1. Temporary
2. Easy to change with counter arguments
3. Difficult to predict behaviour based on a weak attitude

Question 16

What is meant by the ‘continuum’ of the elaboration likelihood model?

Answer 16

It is not true that people can only use one of the two routes to process information. They are both on one extreme of a continuum and most people are somewhere along that continuum. So, they use a bit of the central route and a bit of the peripheral route to process their information.

Question 17

Critique of elaboration likelihood model

Answer 17

It is difficult to establish what a ‘strong’ argument is, therefore the assumption that strong arguments persuade people is questionable. Next to that, the theory puts too much focus on the cognitive side of the brain and not enough on how emotions help us process information.

Question 18

Social Judgement Theory (SJT) by …

Answer 18

Muzafer Sherif

Question 19

Aim of Social Judgement theory

Answer 19

Explain how people process information by looking at their attitude structures. Explain why people distort arguments according to their pre-existing attitude.

Question 20

What two elements determine someone’s attitude structure?

Answer 20

Latitudes and ego-involvement

Question 21

The four basic principles of social judgement theory

Answer 21

1. People have categories of acceptance (latitudes) with which they can asses new information
2. The size of each latitude depends on the personal importance of the subject (ego-involvement)
3. People distort new information to make it fit their anchor point
4. Optimal persuasion takes place with a small to moderate discrepancy between new information and their anchor point

Question 22

What are the three different latitudes a person can have on a statement?

Answer 22

1. Latitude of rejection (absolutely disagree)
2. Latitude of acceptance (zone in which their anchor point is)
3. Latitude of non-commitment (Not really agreeing or disagreeing)

Question 23

What is a high ego-involvement and what are the three characteristics of a high ego-involvement?

Answer 23

A high ego-involvement means that a subject or statement is very important to someone (influenced by politics, religion, family etc.)
Characteristics;
1. Small latitude of non-commitment
2. Large latitude of rejection and small latitude of acceptance
3. Their anchor point is usually on one of the extreme sides of the continuum

Question 24

Explain the assumption of SJT; ‘People distort new information to make it fit their anchor point better’

Answer 24

When people get a new message that falls in their latitude of acceptance, then ‘assimilation’ occurs. Meaning that people see the statement to be much closer to their own opinion than it might actually be.
When people get a new message that falls in their latitude of rejection, then ‘contrast’ occurs. They see the statement as way further from their own opinion than it actually is.

Question 25

What happens when a new message falls in someone’s latitude of acceptance?

Answer 25

Then their judgement is based on assimilation. They believe the statement is close to their own and a small attitude change will take place.

Question 26

What happens when a new message falls in someone’s latitude of rejection?

Answer 26

Then they will judge the statement to be too far away from their own opinion (contrast) and no persuasion will take place, there might even occur a boomerang effect.

Question 27

What happens when a new message falls in someone’s latitude of non-commitment?

Answer 27

Then the person does not really have a judgement on the statement yet and will therefore take the message into consideration.

Question 28

Explain ‘Boomerang effect’

Answer 28

When you try to persuade someone with a statement that falls in their latitude of rejection, but instead of changing their attitude in the direction of your statement, you move them even further away from your statement.

Question 29

What is the best way to persuade people according to the SJT?

Answer 29

With a message that is as far away from their anchor point as possible, but without it falling in someone’s latitude of rejection.

Question 30

Why is the Social Judgement Theory involve the word social?

Answer 30

Because the reference scale of latitudes is often influenced by society and the people around you. You wonder; What do people similar to me think of this statement?

Question 31

Critique on social judgement theory

Answer 31

The main critique is that this theory is focused on the content of a message and doesn’t really state anything about the characteristics of the message itself.
Next to that, some people are just naturally stubborn, so they won’t listen to other people’s opinions, it doesn’t matter whether they fall in their latitude of acceptance or not.

Question 32

Cognitive Dissonance by …

Answer 32

Festinger

Question 33

What is cognitive dissonance according to Festinger?

Answer 33

A feeling of discomfort caused by cognitive inconsistency (when someone doesn’t behave according to their attitude). The more important an attitude is to someone, the higher the feeling of discomfort if they don’t behave according to that attitude.

Question 34

Explain ‘Cognitive discrepancy reduction’

Answer 34

Humans want to have ‘good’ attitudes and behaviour and therefore try to avoid the feeling of discomfort that is cognitive dissonance.

Question 35

What are, according to Festinger, the three ways that people try to reduce their feeling of cognitive dissonance?

Answer 35

1. By rewarding discrepant behaviour.
2. The ‘belief disconfirmation paradigm’
3. The ‘hypocrisy paradigm’

Question 36

Explain how discrepant behaviour should be rewarded to cause an attitude change.

Answer 36

There should be minimal justification. Meaning that it should be a small reward, in this way people feel like it is their own decision if they make a small attitude change.

Question 37

Explain ‘Belief disconfirmation paradigm’

Answer 37

We learn new information that goes against our own attitude, so we can now do two things; We change our attitude OR we justify our own attitude by seeking support from others or by completely ignoring the new information.

Question 38

Explain ‘hypocrisy paradigm’

Answer 38

When people are confronted with times when they did not behave according to their new attitude, then they can do two things; They change their behaviour to match their current attitude even more OR they change their attitude back to their old behaviour.

Question 39

Three other sources of dissonance

Answer 39

1. Inconsistency between our self-concept and our behaviour
2. Self-affirmation
3. People feel personally responsible for the negative consequences of their actions

Question 40

Give an example of inconsistency between the self-concept and behaviour

Answer 40

Example; Saying you love cows, but also eating hamburgers.

Question 41

Explain ‘self-affirmation’ in relation to cognitive dissonance

Answer 41

To avoid cognitive dissonance, we need to boost our confidence on other aspects. Example; I love the environment and may have eaten a steak today, but I did cycle to work today instead of a polluting car!

Question 42

Give an example of how people feel personally responsible for the negative consequences of their actions

Answer 42

Example; When I eat a hamburger, then a cow (which I love) has been slaughtered because of me.

Question 43

Critique on Festinger’s theory on cognitive dissonance

Answer 43

The theory was never actually proven. It should have been measured through arousal and psychological discomfort but this was never actually done.