Post on 21-Dec-2015
Attitudes and Persuasion
Chapter 7
Persuasion and Attitude Change
1. A Two-Process Approach to PersuasionElaboration-Likelihood ModelHeuristic-Systematic Model
Heuristic/Peripheral - the person primarily attends to superficial aspects of the messageSystematic/Central - the person thinks carefully and deliberately about the content of the message
Elaboration-Likelihood Model
Messageunimportant,uninteresting
Heuristicprocessing
Nonverbalcues
important
Argumentstrength
unimportant
Messageimportant,interesting
Systematicprocessing
Nonverbalcues
unimportant
Argumentstrength
important
Peripheral Route
Central Route
Petty, Cacioppo & Goldman, 1981
Factors Influencing Information Processing
We tend to use systematic processing when:– we are strongly motivated
accuracy motivation impression motivation defensive motivation
– we have a high ability to do so
We tend to use heuristic processing when:– we are unmotivated– we lack the ability to systematically process info
Persuasion and Attitude Change
2. The Who, What, and Whom of Persuasiona. source characteristics
sleeper effect - occurs when messages from unreliable sources initially exert little influence but later cause individuals’ attitudes to shift
b. message characteristicsc. receiver characteristics
Source and Message Characteristics
Important Nonverbal Cues– Attractiveness– Credibility
expertise trustworthiness Speaking style
Important Message Characteristics– High quality message– Vivid information
Identifiable victim effect
– if audience is skeptical- use two-sided message
Receiver Characteristics
Need for Cognition Mood Age
Is Resistance Futile? Audience Effects
– reactance- adopting opposite attitudes– forewarning- prior knowledge of persuasion
increase arguments for and counterarguments against
– selective avoidance- avoid contradictory info. channel surf, tune out certain info.
– biased assimilation- perceive information that disconfirms our views as unreliable
– attitude polarization- interpret mixed evidence in ways that strengthen existing views
Summary: ELM
Analytical
&
Motivated
High effortElaborate
AgreeCounter-
argue
Strong arguments
cause enduring agreement
Notanalytical
orinvolved
Low effort:Use
peripheralcues,
heuristics
Cuestriggerliking
&acceptance
PersuasiveAppeal
Response
Audience Processing Persuasion
CentralRoute
PeripheralRoute
Behavioral Approach to Attitude Change
1. Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1957)states that inconsistencies between a person’s thoughts, sentiments, and actions create an aversive emotional state (dissonance) that leads to efforts to restore consistency
Dissonance can occur in a number of ways– Selecting between two reasonably attractive alternatives– Justifying effort– Engaging in counterattitudinal behavior
2. Experiencing and Reducing Dissonancea. Decisions and Dissonance
Brehm’s Consumer Products Study
Asked participants to rate a bunch of consumer products.
Offered participants a choice between two items
Experimental group – offered the two items participants had rated closest in attractiveness (High Dissonance).
Control group – offered two items not close in attractiveness (Low Dissonance).
After 20 minutes, asked participants to rate products again.
Predictions?
0.38
0.11
-0.41
0
0.79
0.11
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
-0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Ch
an
ge
in
Lik
ing
Change inLiking Chosen
Item
Change inLiking
NonChosen Item
Net Change
Experimental Group
Control Group
Aronson and Mills (1959)
Recruited women to participate in discussion about sex (remember it is the ’50s.
3 conditions: mild initiation, severe initiation, control.
In initiation conditions, participants told they had to pass a test to be in discussion group.
Mild initiation – read a list of mild words and romantic passage from novel to experimenter.
Severe initiation – read a list of explicit words and pornographic passage to experimenter.
All people were told they passed but the discussion had already started. They were allowed to listen in on headphones to VERY boring conversation.
Who do you think liked the discussion more? Why?
Predicting Attitudes From Behavior
b. Effort Justification - tendency to reduce dissonance by finding reasons for why you have devoted time, effort, or money for something that turned out to be disappointingAronson and Mills (1959) ‘initiation experiment’Cooper (1980) study on effort justification in psychotherapy
Gerard and Mathewson (Replication)
Told participants they were signing up for a group that would discuss morals on campus.
Initiation participants told they would have to pass some tests to see how inhibited they were. Tests included receiving mild or severe electric shocks (3X).
Noninitiation participants went through same tests but didn’t believe they were joining group.
Participants were told they had either passed the test or had to wait a few days for the results.
Everyone then listened to the VERY boring conversation
Here is what happened…
11.5
31.1
26.1
41.0
19.8
13.2
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
Mild Shock Severe Shock
En
joy
me
nt
of
Co
nv
ers
ati
on
Passed Initiation
Waiting for Results
Noninitiation
Cooper (1980)
Hypothesized that the “suffering” involved in psychotherapy is what makes people believe in its effectiveness.
Recruited women who felt they had assertiveness problems. Told they would receive $2 for participating.
Upon arrival, receptionist either:
Reminded them their participation was completely voluntary, or
Did not remind them of their free choice.
One group experienced behavioral therapy (identified problem situations and practiced being assertive).
Other group exercised on treadmill (told exercise helped assertiveness).
When they were finished, receptionist only paid them a dollar.
Who do you think was more assertive in asking for other dollar?
3.23.4
1.92.1
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Exercise Behavior Therapy
As
se
rtiv
en
es
s
High Choice
Low Choice
Predicting Attitudes From Behavior
c. Induced Compliance and Attitude Changeinduced (forced) compliance - subtly compelling individuals to behave in a manner that is inconsistent with their beliefs, attitudes, or values, which typically leads to dissonance and often to a change in their original attitudes or values in order to reduce their dissonance
Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) experiment on forced compliance
$20Told next persontasks were funand interesting
$1
BoringTasks
Told next persontasks were funand interesting
Asked how much they
enjoyed experiment
Induced Compliance Study
Predicting Attitudes From Behavior
3. When Does Inconsistency Produce Dissonance?
a. free choice
b. insufficient justification
c. negative consequences
d. foreseeable consequences
Linder, Cooper, and Jones
Had participants write counterattitudinal essays.
2X2 Design
Condition 1 high vs. low choice
Condition 2 high vs. low monetary incentive
Experiment 1 essay topic – allowing communists on campus
Experiment 2 essay topic – curfews on campus
2.96
1.661.64
2.34
3.64
2.682.72
3.46
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Free Choice No Choice
Att
itu
de
s T
ow
ard
s T
op
ic
Communists ($.50)Communists ($2.50)Curfew ($.50)Curfew ($2.50)
Cooper and Worchel
Used Festinger and Carlsmith procedure.
In response to lie about how fun the experiment was, person being lied to said either:
This experiment will probably be boring like all the others.
Or
I’m glad this one will be fun. I’m looking forward to it.
Which participants will show most attitude change?
9
21
8
12
0
5
10
15
20
25
Unconvinced Convinced
Am
ou
nt
of
Att
itu
de
Ch
an
ge
Low Incentive
High Incentive
Reducing Cognitive Dissonance
Ways to reduce dissonance– Direct methods
change attitude to be consistent with behavior– “diets don’t really work anyway”
acquire supporting information– “many overweight people live long healthy lives”
trivialize the behaviors in question– “looking thin is not all that important”
– Indirect methods restore positive self-evaluations
– “I like the way I look, regardless of my weight” distractions
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