Social Psych Chpt. 5

What is the definition of persuasion?

The process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

What is Central route to persuasion?

Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts. (When teacher told us about the new "test" graduate students from the social sciences only will have to take- had weak arguments and people caught on)

What is Peripheral route to persuasion?

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractive cues. (more likely to like this type of persuasion especially in commercials when you are in a good mood)

What is credibility? is this affective? why or why not?

Believability. A credible communicator is perceived as both expert and trustworthy. This only is a temporary form of persuasion because the impact this person may have had on another person is more likely to fade after a month or so and its source is forgotten or dissociated from the message.

What is the sleeper effect?

A delayed impact of a message; occurs when we remember the message but forget a reason for discounting it. i.e when people forget the source or connection with the message

What does attractiveness have to do with persuasion?

We are more likely to respond to those we like. There are two types of attractiveness: one is physical appeal and two is similarity. We tend to like people who are similar to us.

What is the primacy effect?

Other things being equal, information presented first usually has the most influence. i.e First impressions count

What is the recency effect?

Information presented last sometimes has the most influence. Recency effects are less common than primacy ones.

What is the channel of communication?

The way the message is delivered- whether face to face, in writing, on film, or in some other way.

What is the two-step flow of communication?

The process by which media influence often occurs through opinion leaders, who in turn influence others. Ex: getting a doctor or any expert to influence someone else to want to buy a product

What is the need for cognition?

The motivation to think and analyze. Assessed by agreement with items such as "The notion of thinking abstractly is appealing to me" and disagreement with items such as " I only think as hard as I have to". Ex: someone who has to need to "think" will more likely not be persuaded into liking an add with peripheral cues.

What is a cult? or the new religious movement?

is a group of people who have a high belief in a religion and therefore can influence people to join them in order to "please god" or to do the right thing.

What is attitude inoculation?

exposing people to weak attacks on their attitudes so that when stronger attacks come, they will have refutations available.???

What is the Yale attitude Change approach?

knowing WHO said WHAT to WHOM- meaning the source of communication, the nature of the communication, and the nature of the audience depends on how a person is persuaded.

How does the source of communication affect persuasion?

credibility- meaning he or she is looked up to in expertise and trustworthiness
attractiveness- good looks, popularity, likability

What are some ways in which the audience assumes a person on TV knows what he or she is talking about?

talks rapidly, has no obvious self interest

How does the nature of communication affect persuasion?

- if something does not appear to influence
- primacy/recency affect
- appeal to core values

How does the nature of the audience affect persuasion?

- distractedness
- low in intelligence
- under 25 yrs
- moderate self-esteem
- mood matching

Under what circumstances are the peripheral and central route techniques more relied on?

peripheral- when issue was not personally relevant
central- when the issue was personally relevant