What's In a Theory?
You, Me, & Messages
Here's an Example, Name the Concept
Research Says...
Straight from O'Keefe!
100
This route to processing information is characterized by low motivation and low ability to process
What is the peripheral route?
100
Dunkin' Donuts, as seen in the ad below, uses this type of message in its tagline.
What is an explicit message?
100
Allison believes she is a healthy person. She spends most of her day sitting in a cubicle at work and watches television in her free time. She experiences discomfort because of these attitudes and behaviors.
What is cognitive dissonance?
100
In a 1959 experiment, Festinger & Carlmsith paid students $20 or $1 to turn pegs for an hour and found that students in this group reported enjoying the activity more.
Who are the students paid $20?
100
This heuristic principle refers to the belief that, "if other people believe it, then it's probably true."
What is the consensus heuristic?
200
This component of a major theory in persuasion research refers to a person's perception of how easy or difficult it is to perform a behavior
What is perceived behavioral control?
200
Messages, like this one from Clorox, often rely on these two components of credibility to persuade their audiences.
What are expertise and trustworthiness?
200
Brent believes that most drivers wear a seat belt, so he decides to wear a seat belt.
What is a descriptive norm?
200
Psychologist Philip Zimbardo persuaded people to eat fried grasshoppers. In this experiment, participants reported liking grasshoppers more if they were persuaded by this type of communicator.
Who is a negative, or disliked, communicator?
200
This persuasive strategy relies on cognitive dissonance by calling attention to inconsistencies of a person's attitudes or behaviors.
What is hypocrisy induction?
300
People who are in this stage of the transtheoretical model have thought about adopting a behavior change, but are not doing more than thinking.
What is the contemplation stage?
300
During the COVID pandemic, Swedish public transit used this type of "sided" ad campaign below to acknowledge a negative behavior (using your bags to take up seats on the bus) to encourage a positive behavior (social distancing).
What is two-sided messaging?
300
Caroline is studying for her upcoming persuasion exam. She is attentive in the class review and has been reading the textbook to fill out her study guide. She is highly motivated and able to process messages related to the test.
What is the central route of persuasion?
300
Research on animals like gulls or stickleback fish provide evidence of the existence of this type of processing in animals.
What is peripheral route processing?
300
In the transtheoretical model, self-reevaluation, counterconditioning, self-liberation, and helping relationships are all referred to as these.
What are processes of change?
400
This component of a major theory of persuasion describes how behavioral intentions are influenced by what our "important others" believe we should do.
What are injunctive norms?
400
There are several strategies we can use to build resistance to persuasion like the one exhibited in the anti-vaping ad below.
What is inoculation theory?
400
Dexter weighs the benefits and harms of continuing to binge drink or quitting the behavior. He plans to use this analysis to determine whether to change his behavior.
What is decisional balance?
400
In a study of pregnant women, researchers found that this was the most effective strategy for getting women to exercise more during pregnancy.
What is presenting examples of others doing the behavior (or changing perceived behavioral control)?
400
Research on the summative model suggests that persuading using belief strength isn't effective because people are less influenced by the likelihood of a certain consequence occurring and more influenced by this.
What are the desirability of the consequences?
500
This component of a major theory of persuasion refers to how favorable someone feels toward a particular belief, which is one of two determinants of a person's attitudes.
What is belief evaluation?
500
Burger King crafted the content of their messaging to be persuasive in this preservative-free 2020 ad campaign using this strategy.
What are emotional appeals (or disgust)?
500
Diane is thinking about purchasing a new blender. She sees an ad for one while watching Real Housewives of Potomac. She applies the benefits of wealth and luxury from the TV show to the blender, and decides to purchase it.
What is an assimilation effect?
500
In 2008, Levitan & Visser found that when asking people to read an article about capital punishment, they were more likely to change their opinions on the issue if the article featured this.
What are high-quality, or stronger, arguments?
500
This hypothesis explains peoples' tendency to seek out only media sources that confirm or reinforce their beliefs.
What is the selective exposure hypothesis?