Psych Exam 2 Flashcards
Definition of Persuasion
A form of social influence that involves
changing others’ thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors by applying rational and/or emotional arguments to convince them to adopt your position - AKA getting others to think/feel/do what you want
Describe the WHO SAYS WHAT TO WHOM, AND HOW IS IT SAID? model
The communicator or source of the message (the “who”)
The message or communication (the “what is said”) (Rational and emotional appeals)
The audience (the “to whom”)
The channel of communication (the “how”)
Factors of communicator & message/audience
One-sided message: Present only one side of an issue; works best for
An audience that already agrees with you
A less educated, uninformed audience
Two-sided message: Present both sides of an
issue; works best for
An audience that initially disagrees with you
A more educated, informed audience
What is the Inoculation theory?
Exposing an audience to a
weakened version of an opposing leads an
audience to devise counterarguments to the
weakened version and will not be as persuaded
by later stronger arguments - essentially a straw man.
Define Elaboration
The amount of thinking done about
message arguments
Contrast the Central v. peripheral processing route
Central route processes occurs when elaboration is higher focuses on strength of message arguments, and leads to strong attitude change.
Peripheral route processes occurs when elaboration is lower, focuses on nonargument-related cues and leads to weak attitude change
Cognitive dissonance theory
Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance states that we want to be cognitively consistent and inconsistent cognitions arouse psychological tension that people become motivated to reduce. Resolving this tension can sometimes lead to irrational and maladaptive behavior
What are the 5 dissonance experiments?
o Insufficient Justification
o Insufficient Deterrence
o Justifying Effort
o Justifying Difficult Decisions
o Belief Disconfirmation
Definition of Culture
Culture is enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes,
and traditions shared by a large group of people
and transmitted from one generation to the next - essentially passed down schemas
Norms: Definition, examples
An unwritten social rule existing either
on a cultural or a situation-specific level
suggesting what is appropriate behavior in a
situation. Norms: Expected behavior; standards for accepted and expected behavior
Examples include:
Expressiveness
Punctuality
Food
Slang
What are examples of universal norms?
Norms across cultures:
Universal friendship norms
Universal trait dimensions
Universal social belief
dimensions
Incest taboo
Norms of war
Emotional expression
Attractiveness ratings
Morality
Social classes
Norm differences across cultures
Friendship norms
Social class
Incest norms
Social norms
Attractiveness ratings
Morality
Gender differences
Women
Describe themselves in more
relational terms
Experience more relationship-
linked emotions
More empathetic
Gravitate toward jobs that
reduce inequalities
Men
Focus on tasks and on
connections with large groups
Respond to stress with “fight
or flight” response
Gravitate toward jobs that
enhance inequalities
How Are Males and Females
Alike and Different?
Social Dominance
Men are socially dominant
Women’s wages in industrial countries average 77 percent of white
men’s
Men tend to be more autocratic; women more democratic
Men take more risks
Shifting standards model
Women tend to be judged relative to women, and men tend to be judged relative to men.
Men and women may be judged equally tall,
despite being objectively different.
Women may be judged more financially successful than men, despite earning less money.
Definition of Conformity
Modifying behavior in response to real
or imagined pressure from others
