Persuasion: So Easily Fooled
Persuasion is most effective when individuals are:
not feeling that their freedom to make a choice is threatened
Ben is playing basketball with his friends one day when he notices everyone else has name brand shoes. He is uncertain how the quality of his shoes compares to his friends but because of __________ he feels pressure to conform and ends up buying name brand shoes for himself by the following week.
social proof
Yolanda is hosting a jewelry party during which her friends will come to her home and (hopefully) buy jewelry that she recommends. In this situation, there are many different ways in which perceptions of trustworthiness are being manipulated. Which of the following best describes why Yolanda might be successful in selling jewelry?
word of mouth
Social psychologists are often interested in the phenomena of _________, in which one person influences the thoughts or actions of another.
Altruism
Uncritical trust in authority can lead to significant problems for several reasons. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
Authority figures quite often have hidden agendas that must be protected against.
The peripheral route to persuasion takes advantage "trigger features" that activate sequential behavior in animals and humans. What is this sequence of behavior called?
FAP's
Physically attractive people experience many benefits in life. Particularly, more physically attractive people have an easier time persuading others. Which characteristic is an example of why this occurs?
Physically attractive people are perceived as having higher moral character.
Which of the following is an example of manipulating the trustworthiness of a speaker?
The speaker presents his/her message as educational or objective information
Why do some salespeople try to start a new interaction by asking for something small from a potential customer (e.g., "Just answer one quick question")?
They know getting small acts of cooperation may lead to larger actions in the same direction.
What is a heuristic?
a mental shortcut that enables a person to make decisions and solve problems quickly and efficiently
What are the three characteristics of a speaker that makes him/her more trustworthy when delivering a persuasive message?
authority, honesty, likability
While reading a magazine Juan notices an advertisement for tennis shoes. Juan is very interested in reading about the materials the shoes are made out of and logically concludes the tennis shoes would be a good purchase. Juan was likely in which persuasion route?
central
Oscar would like to go to a movie without supervision. To try and get what he wants, he starts by asking his mom if he can go on a trip to the Rollercoaster Park with just his friends. When his mom says no, like he predicted, he goes on to ask if he can at least go to the movies by himself. Oscar's strategy in asking to go to the movies is an example of what persuasion trick?
door-in-the-face
Exposing participants to weak arguments before presenting them with strong persuasive messages helps participants resist persuasion. What is this effect called?
inoculation
During a political debate, one candidate continually avoids questions about the details of his policies. Instead, he focuses on pointing out problems that he know worry people and reassures them with a warm smile that they will be "in good hands" if he is elected. This candidate is using the ________ route to persuasion in trying to garner votes.
peripheral
Researchers pointed out to participants how gullible they were in being influenced by advertisements. As a result the participants were less affected by ads. What is technique effect called?
stinging
Tracy enters a car dealership interested in buying a new car. Immediately she is greeted by a salesman offering her water or soda and a cookie. The salesman is likely relying on what social norm to help persuade Tracy to buy a car?
reciprocity
