W6: Social Psychology 2 Flashcards
changing one’s attitude
What is persuasion
Message intended to change an attitude and related behaviour of an audience
How does attitue change? 3 stages
The Message Learning approach to persuasion
Attitude would change following these stages
- Attend to the message
- Comprehend the message
- Accept the message
Theses stages must be follow orderly
Once the message is accepted, attitude change will occur as the new message
What are the factors that influence persuasion?
Source variables
Message variable
Target/audience variables
How does source variable influence persuasion?
Using attractiveness (physical appearance, likeability, similarity to the audience (e.g. background, values and beliefs)) and high vs low creadibility (fast talker appears to be more credible)
How does message variable affect persuasion?
Vivid information tend to be more persuasive.
Fear appeal (captures attention, however too much fear creates anxiety and interfere with acceptance of the message)
Using humour that is relevant to the message to increase attention (however, overuse of humour can interfere with processing of message)
Repetition (frequent exposure to an initial positive or neutral object will increase liking, overexposure leads to burn out)
Use of appropriate delivering medium (Visual medium is better than audio for simple messages; Complex messages → written medium is more effective )
How down target/audience variable affect peruasion?
Self-esteem
- High self-esteem people are more self-assured –> less likely to be persuaded
Mood
- Positive mood –> less critical processing of information –> easily persuaded
- Negative mood –> more critical and sceptical in evaluating information –> more substantive processing –> less likely to be persuaded
Message - Learning vs ELM
How does the Message - Learning approach to persuation differ from the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
The Message Learning appraoch explains how and when attitude change and takes a passive view of the receipient.
The ELM explains why attitude change, and highlights that attitude can change without comprehension of the message
What are the two routes to persuasion in ELM?
Central route:
- Able and willing to carefully analyse the infromation
- Enable elaboration on the message
- Persuation affect is stronger
Peripheral route:
- Unable or unwilling to analyse the message
- Rely on hueristic or irrelevant cues to resposne to the message
- Less reisistance to counterarguement, less predictive of behaviour
How does nudges change behaviour?
Through the use of rewards and punishments medium (e.g. mandates, bans, subsidies or fines), which should not restrict choice or change economic incentives
5 principles
What are the principles of reciprocity, used to enhance compliance?
- Tendecy to want to repay (we feel compelled to return a favour, e.g. door-in-the-face tactic)
- Social proof ( taking cues from other poeple before conducing a behaviour due to uncertainty)
- Flattery ( despite awareness of ulterior motives, people tend to like flatteres)
- Scarcity (wanting what is limtited, beliveving that scarce things are better)
- Consistency (e.g. foot-in-the-door, low ball technique)
First principle of reciprocity
Elaborate on the Door-in-the-face tactic
Large unreasonable request is followed up by a small reseaonable request –> recipeient is more likely to respond to smaller request
Fifth principle of enhancing reciprocity
Elaborate on the Foot-in-the-door tactic and the Low ball technique
Foot-in-the-door:
- A small request is followed by a large request
- Small request create committment -> enable acceptance of bigger request
Low ball technique:
- After inial agreement, hidden costs are revealed
- Committment is already formed, later poor choices will be justified
- Enable people to be happy with poor decisions
Consideration - Mindlessness
Why do people agree to spurious reason?
This is because of people mindlessness. We are considerate to small request even though spurious reason is offered.
Conformity vs Compliance vs Obedience vs Acceptance
- Conformity: change in behaviour or belief in accord with others
- Compliance: publily acting in accord with an implie or explicit resposne while inwardly disagreeing
- Obedience: compliance with the direct command
- Acceptance: similar to conformity but involve believing as well as acting in accord with social pressure
What indicates normative social influence?
When group members change their behaviour to fit in and avoid disapproval, they’re responding to normative social influence
