Persuasion: So Easily Fooled
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Questions
According to Petty & Cacioppo's (1986) model, which path to persuasion employs direct, relevant, and logical messages, assuming the audience is motivated and will think carefully?
View answer and explanationWhat is the term for sequences of behavior that occur in exactly the same fashion and order every time they are elicited, which Cialdini (2008) compares to a prerecorded tape?
View answer and explanationIn the campus bake sale study described by Levine (2003), which phrase acted as a 'hot button' or trigger feature that significantly increased sales regardless of the actual cause mentioned?
View answer and explanationWhat are the three characteristics that comprise the 'Triad of Trustworthiness' in the context of persuasion?
View answer and explanationWhich famous social psychology study demonstrated that a high percentage of psychologically normal men were willing to administer potentially lethal shocks to a stranger when ordered by an authority figure?
View answer and explanationWhat is described as the 'magic bullet' of personal communication, a quality so powerful that if an audience possesses it for a speaker, they will forgive almost anything else the speaker does wrong?
View answer and explanationAccording to research cited in the chapter, what is a primary reason that celebrity endorsements are effective, even when the audience knows the celebrities are not experts and are being paid?
View answer and explanationIn a study funded by the Federal Trade Commission involving over 400 children, what was an effect of showing a commercial for a model racing set that featured an endorsement from a famous race car driver?
View answer and explanationWhich persuasion strategy involves framing a sales message as objective information, with the salesperson acting as a 'product consultant' rather than a seller?
View answer and explanationWhat is the Yiddish word for a person who is an expert or connoisseur, is trusted, and is often targeted by persuasion professionals to help spread a message at a grassroots level?
View answer and explanationWhat is the name of the powerful social norm, found in every culture according to Gouldner (1960), that compels us to repay, in equitable value, what another person has given to us?
View answer and explanationThe principle of social proof, where we compare our behavior to what others are doing, is driven by which two powerful social forces?
View answer and explanationWhat persuasion technique involves inducing someone to agree to a difficult-to-refuse small request, followed by progressively larger requests?
View answer and explanationIn the study by Mowen and Cialdini (1980), researchers posing as representatives of a fictitious insurance company used what technique to almost double compliance for a 15-minute survey?
View answer and explanationWhich persuasion trick is a variation of the door-in-the-face technique, but gains its influence by asking a high price, pausing, and then offering a better deal before the customer can respond?
View answer and explanationIn Burger's (1986) field experiment at a student bake sale, what was the compliance rate for buying cupcakes in the 'that's-not-all' condition where a bonus of two cookies was added?
View answer and explanationWhat is the term for the trap that occurs when a person's aversion to loss impels them to continue investing time or money in a failing endeavor because they don't want to waste their earlier investment?
View answer and explanationWhat is the principle, labeled by Brehm (1966), that describes people's tendency to get suspicious, annoyed, and yearn to retain their freedom of choice when they feel someone is being too pushy?
View answer and explanationIn the study by Brehm & Weinraub (1977) with 2-year-old boys and two toys, what happened when one toy was placed behind a formidable 2-foot high barrier?
View answer and explanationWhat is the 'inoculation' method, as described by McGuire (1964), for defending against unwanted persuasion?
View answer and explanationWhat is the term for the peripheral route persuasion technique that relies on superficial cues that have little to do with logic, requiring low effort from the target?
View answer and explanationAccording to Forrester Research, it is estimated that children have seen almost how many ads by the age of 16?
View answer and explanationOne clear finding about likability is that physically attractive people tend to be liked more. Studies have shown we perceive them as having many positive qualities, including higher moral character, based on what information?
View answer and explanationA 1995 poll mentioned in the chapter found that what percentage of Americans rely on personal advice when selecting a new doctor?
View answer and explanationThe marketing firm Cornerstone Promotion is mentioned as an example of exploiting word-of-mouth by sometimes hiring children to do what?
View answer and explanationAccording to the chapter, social proof works particularly well under two conditions. One is when people are feeling uncertain. What is the other condition?
View answer and explanationWhat is the ultimate defense against unwanted persuasion, according to the chapter's conclusion?
View answer and explanationThe persuasion technique that is sometimes called the 'reject-then-compromise' procedure is also known by what name?
View answer and explanationWhat is the core reason that a trusted brand or company name is an effective persuasion tool for marketers?
View answer and explanationIn the context of persuasion, what is the term for specific, sometimes minute, aspects of a situation that activate fixed action patterns?
View answer and explanationWhen a political advertisement uses provocative, emotionally charged images to sway your vote, rather than logical arguments about policy, it is primarily using which route to persuasion?
View answer and explanationOne of the pitfalls of relying on authority is that expertise in one domain may be confused with expertise in general. Which example is given in the text to illustrate this problem?
View answer and explanationWhat technique is being used when pharmaceutical companies provide travel expenses and speaking fees to researchers who are willing to lecture to health professionals about the virtues of their drugs?
View answer and explanationThe use of laugh tracks on situation comedies is given as an example of which persuasion principle?
View answer and explanationWhat does the chapter say is the reason we often have a desire to both feel and be perceived to act consistently?
View answer and explanationEx-cult members often tend to agree with the statement, 'Nobody ever joins a cult. They just postpone the decision to leave.' This is used as an example of the consequences of which persuasion principle?
View answer and explanationWhat is the most effective way mentioned in the chapter to circumvent psychological reactance?
View answer and explanationThe more aggressive version of the inoculation method, developed by Sagarin and his colleagues, is referred to as what?
View answer and explanationIn the 'stinging' experiments by Sagarin et al., what was the popular advertising tactic they focused on to test their defense method?
View answer and explanationThe chapter's conclusion states that our vulnerabilities to psychological manipulation are side effects of what?
View answer and explanationPersuasion is defined as the process by which a message induces change in which of the following?
View answer and explanationIn the bake sale study by Levine (2003), how many out of 30 potential customers made a purchase when the treats were simply displayed without any verbal prompt?
View answer and explanationWhen persuasion is well-meaning, it might be called education. When it is manipulative, what might it be called?
View answer and explanationA third reason that uncritical trust in authority can be problematic is that the authority may not be legitimate. Which example is given to illustrate how easily authority can be faked?
View answer and explanationIn the 'that's-not-all' study by Burger (1986), what was the price of the cupcake that was announced to customers?
View answer and explanationWarren Buffet's advice, 'When you find yourself in a hole, the best thing you can do is stop digging,' is used to illustrate a defense against which persuasion trap?
View answer and explanationWhat type of persuasion is intended to produce enduring agreement by presenting logical arguments to a motivated audience?
View answer and explanationHeuristics are described as mental shortcuts that enable us to make decisions and solve problems quickly and efficiently. However, they also make us vulnerable to exploitation through which route of persuasion?
View answer and explanationIn the Mowen and Cialdini (1980) door-in-the-face study, what was the initial, large request that researchers expected students to reject?
View answer and explanationWhen a used car salesman is trained to say 'I’m not a salesperson, I’m a product consultant' to a customer, which aspect of the Triad of Trustworthiness is this tactic primarily trying to manipulate?
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