Persuasion

Question 1

Persuasion is best defined as the process of:
A) Simply informing people about facts
B) Changing or reinforcing attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors through communication
C) Making others accept a single viewpoint
D) Generating debate without clear outcomes

Answer 1

B) Changing or reinforcing attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors through communication

Question 2

Unintentional influence in persuasion is often due to:

A) Persuasive messages
B) Deliberate repetition
C) Social norms and expectations
D) Logical argumentation

Answer 2

C) Social norms and expectations

Question 3

Which of the following best describes deliberate influence?

A) Influence that arises without a clear purpose
B) Influence that uses structured messaging to persuade
C) Influence based solely on media portrayal
D) Influence resulting from cultural norms

Answer 3

B) Influence that uses structured messaging to persuade

Question 4

The Third-Person Effect refers to the belief that:

A) Others are more influenced by media than oneself
B) One is highly susceptible to media messages
C) Media has no impact on behavior
D) Media equally influences everyone

Answer 4

Others are more influenced by media than oneself

Question 5

Which of the following is a common misconception about persuasion?

A) Logical appeals are most effective in persuasion
B) Subliminal messages have a strong impact
C) Persuasion relies heavily on emotional appeal
D) All of the above

Answer 5

Subliminal messages have a strong impact

Question 6

Which of these is NOT a true statement about logical appeals in persuasion?

A) They are always more effective than emotional appeals
B) They are often overemphasized in public perception
C) They can complement emotional appeals for impact
D) They rely on rational arguments

Answer 6

They are always more effective than emotional appeals

Question 7

Bounded rationality suggests that individuals often rely on what for decision-making?

A) Full logical analysis
B) Heuristics due to cognitive limitations
C) Complete information from all sources
D) Direct instructions from experts

Answer 7

Heuristics due to cognitive limitations

Question 8

What is a “nudge” in the context of persuasion?

A) An intense argument to persuade others
B) A subtle adjustment to encourage positive choices
C) A type of negative reinforcement
D) A way to punish unwanted behaviors

Answer 8

A subtle adjustment to encourage positive choices

Question 9

System 1 thinking is characterized by:

A) Analytical and slow processing
B) Intuitive and fast processing
C) Deliberate and rational thought
D) Consciously weighing pros and cons

Answer 9

Intuitive and fast processing

Question 10

Which type of thinking, according to dual-process models, is best for complex, in-depth analysis?

A) System 1
B) System 2
C) Cognitive heuristics
D) Intuitive reasoning

Answer 10

System 2

Question 11

The Dual-Process Model that involves intuitive and analytical thinking is:

A) Persuasive Arguments Theory
B) System 1 and System 2 Model
C) Social Identity Theory
D) Agenda-Setting Theory

Answer 11

System 1 and System 2 Model

Question 12

The tendency to rely on initial information when making judgments is known as:

A) Anchoring
B) Sunk-costs
C) Clustering illusions
D) Default heuristic

Answer 12

Anchoring

Question 13

Which heuristic describes sticking to a decision due to the amount of resources already invested?

A) Default heuristic
B) Sunk-cost bias
C) Clustering illusion
D) Contrast effect

Answer 13

Sunk-cost bias

Question 14

What does the contrast effect refer to in persuasion?

A) Favoring recent information over older data
B) Making a choice look better by comparing it with something worse
C) Avoiding unfamiliar information
D) Relying on stereotypes

Answer 14

Making a choice look better by comparing it with something worse

Question 15

The Default Heuristic is the tendency to:

A) Avoid changes to the status quo
B) Evaluate options based on initial information
C) Focus on group norms for decisions
D) Choose the first option seen

Answer 15

Avoid changes to the status quo

Question 16

What is the “clustering illusion”?

A) The mind’s tendency to seek random patterns.
B) The mind’s tendency to find patterns in random events.
C) The phenomenon of creating actual patterns from random events.
D) A logical strategy to identify meaningful patterns.

Answer 16

Answer: B) The mind’s tendency to find patterns in random events.

Question 17

Which example best illustrates the clustering illusion in a historical context?

A) People expecting uniform outcomes in coin tosses.
B) Participants in a study believing in letter pattern sequences.
C) London residents mapping V1 rocket impacts during WWII.
D) People perceiving shapes in clouds.

Answer 17

Answer: C) London residents mapping V1 rocket impacts during WWII.

Question 18

What is the “contrast effect”?

A) Judging things solely based on their inherent value.
B) A cognitive bias where judgments are shaped by comparisons.
C) An effort to make one item appear more attractive by reducing others’ value.
D) A tendency to always prefer the most expensive item.

Answer 18

Answer: B) A cognitive bias where judgments are shaped by comparisons.

Question 19

In the example of Sid and Harry’s clothing store, how did they use the contrast effect?

A) By listing products of varying qualities.
B) By confusing customers about the actual price.
C) By inflating the original price to make the discounted price seem like a bargain.
D) By emphasizing high-quality fabric.

Answer 19

Answer: C) By inflating the original price to make the discounted price seem like a bargain.

Question 20

What is a primary goal of communication campaigns?

A) To increase sales and profits for companies.
B) To inform and persuade a large audience for societal benefit.
C) To use random events to make impactful messages.
D) To discourage audience engagement.

Answer 20

Answer: B) To inform and persuade a large audience for societal benefit.

Question 21

Which theory suggests building resistance to persuasion by exposing individuals to weak arguments?

A) Social Learning Theory
B) Cognitive Dissonance Theory
C) Inoculation Theory
D) Clustering Illusion Theory

Answer 21

Answer: C) Inoculation Theory

Question 22

Which approach in campaigns uses role models and social reinforcement to influence behavior?

A) Cognitive campaigns
B) Inoculation-based campaigns
C) Affectively oriented campaigns
D) Behavioral interventions

Answer 22

Answer: D) Behavioral interventions

Question 23

In the context of Social Learning Theory, what does “vicarious reinforcement” mean?

A) Rewarding a behavior directly.
B) Discouraging people from imitating others.
C) Learning through observing rewards given to others.
D) Learning through direct punishment.

Answer 23

Answer: C) Learning through observing rewards given to others.

Question 24

An anti-smoking ad that depicts unattractive physical effects of smoking is an example of which campaign type?

A) Cognitive campaign
B) Inoculation-based campaign
C) Affectively oriented campaign
D) Behavioral intervention

Answer 24

Answer: C) Affectively oriented campaign

Question 25

According to Social Learning Theory, why might young people adopt healthier choices after viewing a campaign?

A) They want to imitate role models who are praised for healthy behaviors.
B) They are unaware of unhealthy choices.
C) They receive direct rewards for their actions.
D) They are punished for negative behaviors.

Answer 25

Answer: A) They want to imitate role models who are praised for healthy behaviors.

Question 26

Which statement best describes the pro-social side of persuasion?

A) Persuasion should be avoided in public health campaigns.
B) Persuasion can only benefit individuals, not society.
C) Persuasion can promote positive behaviors through carefully crafted messages.
D) Persuasion is mostly used for commercial purposes.

Answer 26

Answer: C) Persuasion can promote positive behaviors through carefully crafted messages.