All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Which theory best explains attitude inference when internal cues are weak: self-perception or dissonance?
Answer: Self-perception theory. Applies when attitudes are ambiguous or unformed.
Flashcard 2: What is the self-perception theory of attitude formation?
Answer: People infer attitudes by observing their own behavior. "I must like it if I'm doing it" - behavior shapes attitude.
Flashcard 3: Which change reduces dissonance by altering a belief to fit behavior?
Answer: Attitude change (change the cognition). Modifies belief to match behavior, resolving inconsistency.
Flashcard 4: Which change reduces dissonance by adding a new belief that justifies behavior?
Answer: Add consonant cognitions (rationalization). Justifies behavior with new supporting thoughts.
Flashcard 5: What is the central route in the elaboration likelihood model (ELM)?
Answer: Persuasion via careful, effortful processing of arguments. High motivation/ability leads to systematic argument evaluation.
Flashcard 6: What is the door-in-the-face technique for attitude change?
Answer: Large request refused, then smaller request accepted. Reciprocity norm makes moderate request seem reasonable.
Flashcard 7: What is the foot-in-the-door technique for attitude change?
Answer: Small request first increases compliance with larger request. Commitment to small action creates consistency pressure.
Flashcard 8: What is the overjustification effect?
Answer: External rewards reduce intrinsic motivation for a behavior. External incentives undermine internal enjoyment.
Flashcard 9: What is the insufficient justification effect?
Answer: Small external reward leads to internal attitude change. Without sufficient external justification, people justify internally.
Flashcard 10: In Festinger and Carlsmith, which incentive produced more attitude change: 1 or 20?
Answer: 1 produced more attitude change (greater dissonance). Less justification = more dissonance = more attitude change.
Flashcard 11: Which change reduces dissonance by minimizing the importance of the conflict?
Answer: Trivialization (reduce perceived importance). "It's not that important anyway" reduces discomfort.
Flashcard 12: What is the lowball technique?
Answer: Secure agreement, then raise the cost; commitment increases compliance. Exploits commitment consistency after initial agreement.
Flashcard 13: Which ELM route usually produces more durable attitude change: central or peripheral?
Answer: Central route. Deep processing creates stronger, longer-lasting attitude shifts.
Flashcard 14: What is cognitive dissonance?
Answer: Psychological discomfort from inconsistent attitudes and behaviors. Tension arises when beliefs and actions don't align.
Flashcard 15: According to cognitive dissonance theory, what is the typical motive after inconsistency?
Answer: Reduce dissonance by changing attitude, behavior, or justification. People seek consistency to eliminate uncomfortable tension.
Flashcard 16: What is the induced compliance paradigm in cognitive dissonance research?
Answer: Attitude change after acting against beliefs with insufficient justification. Minimal reward for counterattitudinal behavior maximizes dissonance.
Flashcard 17: What is the justification of effort effect?
Answer: Valuing an outcome more after expending high effort to obtain it. Dissonance reduction makes difficult achievements seem more worthwhile.
Flashcard 18: What is postdecision dissonance?
Answer: Dissonance after choosing between options; bolstering chosen option. Reduces regret by enhancing chosen option's attractiveness.
Flashcard 19: Identify the concept: behavior changes first, then attitude shifts to match the behavior.
Answer: Cognitive dissonance reduction (attitude change to fit behavior). Classic dissonance: realigning beliefs to justify actions.
Flashcard 20: What is self-perception theory?
Answer: People infer attitudes by observing their own behavior and context. "If I did it, I must believe it" - behavior shapes attitudes.
Flashcard 21: Which ELM route is most likely when motivation and ability to process are both high?
Answer: Central route. High involvement enables systematic argument evaluation.
Flashcard 22: What is the foot-in-the-door technique?
Answer: Small request first increases compliance with a larger request later. Initial commitment creates consistency pressure for escalation.
Flashcard 23: What is the door-in-the-face technique?
Answer: Large request refused, then smaller request accepted via reciprocity. Contrast effect makes second request seem reasonable.
Flashcard 24: What is the difference between an explicit attitude and an implicit attitude?
Answer: Explicit: conscious; implicit: automatic/unconscious associations. Explicit requires awareness; implicit operates below consciousness.
Flashcard 25: What best characterizes the peripheral route to persuasion in the ELM?
Answer: Attitude change via cues (attractiveness, authority), not arguments. Superficial processing relies on heuristics, not content quality.
Flashcard 26: What is an attitude in social psychology?
Answer: An evaluation (positive or negative) of a person, object, or idea. Encompasses feelings, actions, and thoughts about the target.
Flashcard 27: What are the three components of the ABC model of attitudes?
Answer: Affect, Behavior, Cognition. Feelings (affect), actions (behavior), and thoughts (cognition) form attitudes.
Flashcard 28: What is the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) used to explain?
Answer: How persuasion changes attitudes via central vs peripheral routes. Two distinct processing paths determine persuasion effectiveness.
Flashcard 29: What is the mere exposure effect?
Answer: Repeated exposure increases liking, even without conscious awareness. Familiarity breeds preference through repeated encounters.
Flashcard 30: What best characterizes the central route to persuasion in the ELM?
Answer: Attitude change via careful, effortful processing of arguments. Requires motivation and ability to analyze message content.