The Art of Persuasion (Attitude & Behavioural Change)

Question 1

Define persuasion.

Answer 1

Persuasion is a process by which behaviours recharged. Arguments make people re-consider their attitudes and change their minds.

Question 2

What is the third person effect?

Answer 2

We believe that other people are more gullible than us.

Question 3

What was the Yale attitude change approach?

Answer 3

This was research into what makes a message persuasion which focussed on three factors: who (source), what and whom (audience).

Question 4

Name 4 factors in the communicator which increase the persuasion of a message.

Answer 4

Fast talkers - we assume they have expertise in that area.
Powerful speakers.
Similarity between the communicator and the audience.
Physical attractiveness - attractive people get lower bails, influence others more and earn more money.

Question 5

Name 4 factors in the message which effect the persuasion of a message.

Answer 5

Relevance/importance - does the person actually care about the issue?
Repetition - familiarity will breed likability. Repetition with variety is important.
Vividness of message.
Mood/emotions can be influential.

Question 6

Explain the effect of fear arousal in a message on persuasion.

Answer 6

Moderate fear can lead to people being reassured by the message.
Strong fear may threaten people - people become defensive and can’t think rationally.
(Inverted-U shape graph).

Question 7

Explain the effect of mood on persuasion.

Answer 7

Positive emotions are persuasive! They impair our ability to think critically as we don’t want to spoil the mood.
Sadness makes us more critical.

Question 8

What are the two effects of presentation order?

Answer 8

Primacy vs recency effects (both effect persuasion!).

These both interact with time.

Question 9

What is the sleeper effect?

Answer 9

Over time, a person separates the message from the messenger. People forget who gave the speech. Message becomes more persuasive.

Question 10

Name 5 factors in the audience which increase persuasion levels.

Answer 10

Moderate self-esteem.
Moderate intelligence.
High public self-consciousness (specifically more persuaded by name brands).
If the message is consistent with beliefs.
Life stage hypothesis: children, young adults and elderly are the easiest to persuade.

Question 11

Which two types of process models are there?

Answer 11

Single or dual.

Question 12

Name the two main dual-process models for persuasion.

Answer 12

Elaboration likelihood model (Petty & Cacioppo) & heuristic-systematic model (Chaiken).

Question 13

Petty, Cacioppo & Goldman (1981) conducted a study into how easily students could be persuaded to change the examination policy. Briefly explain the results.

Answer 13

Low involvement, expert = persuaded.

High involvement, strong argument = persuaded.

Question 14

Using the elaboration likelihood model, explain the results of the Petty, Cacioppo & Goldman (1981) study.

Answer 14

If a message is of high importance (e.g. we have high involvement) we engage in thoughtful processing through the central route. This leads to an attitude change if the argument is strong (this change is also more enduring).
If a message is of low importance we engage in low processing capacity through the peripheral route (heuristic processing). This leads to an attitude change depending on the characteristics of the source/presence of cues.

Question 15

What are the two paths of the elaboration likelihood model?

Answer 15

Thoughtful & thoughtless.

Question 16

Briefly explain the heuristic systematic model (Chaiken, 1989).

Answer 16

When people attend to a message carefully they use systematic processing.
If not attending carefully, people use heuristics.

Question 17

Mackie, Worth & Asuncion (1990) found that students listen to strong arguments from their own university compared to the rival university. Explain these results.

Answer 17

Being an in-group source raises the potential for influence.
Outgroup sources do not attract people’s attention, therefore it is harder for them to be persuasive.

Question 18

What are the three factors that have to interact with each other for successful persuasion?

Answer 18

Communicator.
Message.
Audience.

Question 19

Define compliance.

Answer 19

It is a superficial and public change in behaviour and expressed attitudes in response to coercion or group pressure.

Question 20

Name 2 ways to enhance compliance.

Answer 20

Ingratiation + Requests.

Question 21

Define ingratiation.

Answer 21

This is where people get them to like them first and then present the argument.

Question 22

Describe the 3 request techniques.

Answer 22

Foot-in-the-door: small favour, accepted, big favour.
Door-in-the-face: large favour, declined, small favour (original goal).
Low-ball: get person committed to choice #1, tell person choice #1 isn’t possible, person commits to choice #2.

Question 23

Define cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger).

Answer 23

People become aware of inconsistency between how they think and act, experiencing dissonance (this is aversive). People are motivated to reduce dissonance by bringing their thoughts, feelings and behaviours back into line.

Question 24

What are the two ways in which cognitive dissonance can be reduced?

Answer 24

Changing behaviour to fit beliefs.

Changing beliefs to fit behaviour.

Question 25

Define effort justification (cognitive dissonance term).

Answer 25

This is where dissonance is experienced when great effort is made for a modest goal.
Example: weight loss study.

Question 26

Define induced compliance (cognitive dissonance term).

Answer 26

This is where dissonance is experienced when persuaded to behave in opposition to attitude.
Example: 1 vs 20 dollar study. Grasshopper study - people that were asked in a negative way to eat the grasshopper were more likely to say they liked it (had to make sense to behaviour!).

Question 27

Explain the idea behind post-decisional conflict.

Answer 27

Changing the way we act might change the way we think.
Post-decisional conflict is cognitive dissonance experienced in a specific situation. After we’ve made a decision, this may go against our attitudes, meaning that we change our attitude.
Example: grasshopper study.

Question 28

Define free-choice (cognitive dissonance term).

Answer 28

Pre-decision uncertainty and dissonance gives way to post-decision confidence.
Example: placing bets.

Question 29

Name 3 factors (boundary conditions) which make cognitive dissonance more likely to change our attitude.

Answer 29

When people have expended effort.
When people cannot attribute their behaviour to external factors.
When people believe they have made a free choice.

Question 30

Name two alternative views of cognitive dissonance.

Answer 30

The self-perception theory (Bem, 1972).

New Look Model (Cooper & Fazio, 1984).

Question 31

Name the three stages in the New Look Model (Cooper & Fazio, 1984).

Answer 31

1. Assessment of consequences.
2. Assessment of responsibility for consequences.
3. Attribution of aroused state.

Question 32

Name the four types of resistance.

Answer 32

Reactance.
Forewarning.
Selective avoidance.
Inoculation.

Question 33

Define reactance.

Answer 33

This is a negative reaction to threats to one’s personal freedom. We resist persuasion.

Question 34

Define forewarning.

Answer 34

This is the knowledge that we are about to become the target of persuasion.

Question 35

Define selective avoidance.

Answer 35

This is the tendency to avoid exposure to information that contradicts our view.

Question 36

Define inoculation.

Answer 36

This is where we are first exposed to a weak counter argument and we therefore build immunity to persuasion. We build defence.