Social Judgement Theory

Question 1

What is social judgement?

Answer 1

Involvement perception and evaluation of an idea by comparing it with the current attitudes
- We are not really open to new information
- Everything is biased based on what we already know
- It does not happen over night, it takes time

Question 2

What are the 3 zones of social judgement theory?

Answer 2

1. Latitude of acceptance
2. Latitude of rejection
3. Latitude of non-commitment

Question 3

What is latitude of acceptance?

Answer 3

Range of ideas that a person sees reasonable or worthy of approval (ex. birth control, homelessness, gun laws, etc)

Question 4

What is latitude of rejection?

Answer 4

range of ideas that a person sees as unreasonable or objectionable (think they are crazy)

Question 5

What is latitude of non commitment?

Answer 5

Range of ideas that a person sees as neither accessible nor objectionable (not a big deal / does not care)

Question 6

What is ego-involvement?

Answer 6

The importance or centrality of an issue to a persons life
- Usually demonstrated by membership in a group with a known stand (people who hold extreme opinions care deeply)

Question 7

What is contrast?

Answer 7

People judge messages that fall within their latitude of rejection as farther from their anchor than they really are

Question 8

What is assimilation?

Answer 8

People judge messages that fall within their latitude of acceptance as less different from their anchor than they really are

Question 9

What is required for attitude change?

Answer 9

First, judging how close or how far a message is from the anchored position and then shifting our anchor in response to the message

Question 10

What is the boomerang effect?

Answer 10

attitude change in the opposite direction of what the message advocates

Question 11

What is persuasion?

Answer 11

Gradual process consisting of small, successive movements
- social process
- the most dramatic, widespread, and enduring attitude changes