Psychology homework

Question 1

The main way in which an attitude differs from an opinion is that an attitude:

 a.  includes an emotional component.

 b.  is held for a briefer period of time.

 c.  pertains to people, not just facts.

 d.  is easier to change through persuasion.

 Explain why you selected the answer you did.

Question 2

Applied

 2. You are in the market for a new car and think you would like to own a Saab. According to research reported by Richard Nisbett and his associates, which of the following would be most likely to influence your decision?

 a.  television commercials for Saab that are both informative and emotionally appealing

 b.  print ads for Saab that are primarily informative

 c.  hearing about the huge repair bills a neighbor’s sister had on her Saab

 d.  a high ranking made by Consumer Reports based on a sample of 75,000 miles of testing

 Why is this the best answer and what might explain this influence? 

Question 3

Research/textbook

 3. McAlister’s field experiment was successful in helping seventh-graders resist peer pressure to smoke cigarette. What did his strategy teach students to do that proved to be effective?

Question 4

Research/reader

 Article #10

 4. Drawing on laboratory research conducted by Berkiwitz, Phillips tested the “modeling of aggression” hypothesis. What did Phillips’ data indicate?

Question 5

Personal Relevance

 5. Under what circumstances are you persuaded by an argument from a peer or an associate in your life? Specifically, what are the things that they may do to increase your tendency to listen to their argument and what things should exist before you take action on their advice?

Question 6

Summary

 6. In general, how successful are obvious attempts to persuade? Summarize one piece of research that supports the notions that direct efforts to persuade are effective, and one that indicated that such direct efforts are relatively ineffective.