Attitudes and Persuasion

Attitudes and Persuasion Chapter 7 Persuasion and Attitude Change 1. A Two-Process Approach to Persuasion Elaboration-Likelihood Model Heuristic-Systematic Model Heuristic/Peripheral - the person primarily attends to superficial aspects of the message Systematic/Central - the person thinks carefully and deliberately about the content of the message Elaboration-Likelihood Model Message unimportant, uninteresting Nonverbal cues important Argument strength unimportant Heuristic processing Peripheral Route Message important, interesting Systematic processing Nonverbal cues unimportant Argument strength important 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 are unmotivated we lack the ability to systematically process info  We tend to use heuristic processing when: – – Persuasion and Attitude Change 2. The Who, What, and Whom of Persuasion a. source characteristics sleeper effect - occurs when messages from unreliable sources initially exert little influence but later cause individuals’ attitudes to shift b. message characteristics c. 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 channel surf, tune out certain info. selective avoidance- avoid contradictory info.  biased assimilation- perceive information that disconfirms our views as unreliable attitude polarization- interpret mixed evidence in ways that strengthen existing views Summary: ELM Audience Processing Persuasion Central Route Persuasive Appeal High effort Strong Analytical Elaborate arguments Agree cause & Motivated Counter- enduring argue agreement Response Low effort: Cues Not Use trigger analytical peripheral liking or cues, & involved heuristics acceptance Peripheral Route 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 Dissonance a. Decisions and Dissonance Brehm’s Consumer Products Study Asked participants to rate a bunch of consumer products. 0.8 Experimental Group Control Group 0.79 Change in Liking Offered participants a choice between two items 0.6 0.38 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? 0.4 0.2 -0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.41 0.11 0 0.11 -0.6 Change in Liking Chosen Item Change in Liking NonChosen Item Net Change 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 disappointing Aronson 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. 45.0 40.0 Passed Initiation Waiting for Results Noninitiation 41.0 Enjoyment of Conversation 35.0 31.1 30.0 26.1 25.0 19.8 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 Mild Shock Severe Shock 11.5 13.2 Everyone then listened to the VERY boring conversation Here is what happened… 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. 4 3.5 3.4 3.2 Assertiveness 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Exercise Behavior Therapy High Choice Low Choice 1.9 2.1 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? Predicting Attitudes From Behavior c. Induced Compliance and Attitude Change induced (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 Induced Compliance Study $20 Told next person tasks were fun and interesting Boring Tasks Asked how much they enjoyed experiment Told next person tasks were fun and interesting $1 Predicting Attitudes From Behavior 3. When Does Inconsistency Produce Dissonance? a. free choice b. insufficient justification c. negative consequences d. foreseeable consequences Linder, Cooper, and Jones Had participants write counterattitudinal essays. Attitudes Towards Topic 4 3.5 2.96 3.64 3.46 2.72 2.34 1.64 1.66 2X2 Design Condition 1 high vs. low choice Condition 2 high vs. low monetary incentive Experiment 1 essay topic – allowing communists on campus 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 2.68 Experiment 2 essay topic – curfews on campus Free Choice No Choice Communists ($.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. Amount of Attitude Change 25 Low Incentive High Incentive 21 20 15 12 10 9 8 Or I’m glad this one will be fun. I’m looking forward to it. Which participants will show most attitude change? 5 0 Unconvinced Convinced Reducing Cognitive Dissonance  Ways to reduce dissonance – Direct methods    change attitude to be consistent with behavior – “diets don’t really work anyway” “many overweight people live long healthy lives” “looking thin is not all that important” acquire supporting information – – trivialize the behaviors in question – Indirect methods   restore positive self-evaluations – “I like the way I look, regardless of my weight” distractions Study Smarter: Student Website  http://www.wwnorton.com/socialpsych Chapter Reviews Diagnostic Quizzes Vocabulary Flashcards Apply It! Exercises