PSYC1030 Quiz 2

According to the ______________ heuristic, we judge an event's ________________ by the ease with which we can remember instance of that event.

availability, frequency

You are thinking about buying a new TV. When you enter the store, you see that one TV model is on sale, with a sign reading, "limited time only! Sale ends today!" What persuasion technique does this demonstrate?

Scarcity

According to the Principle of Compatibility (Fishbein & Ajzen), attitudes predict behaviour most accurately when:

Attitude and behaviour are measured at the same level of specificity (target, action, context, time)

According to Kelley's (1973) covariation model of impression formation, information about _________________ helps us make a SITUATIONAL attribution.

Low consensus

In a Gender‑Career IAT, Pat shows a score indicating a stronger Male + Career / Female + Family association. Which outcome is most consistent with prior IAT research on predictive validity?

Pat will spend slightly longer considering female‑applicant resumes for a managerial role.

Milgram's obedience experiments primarily explored which principle?

Authority

A lecturer asks students to explain a complex physics concept twice: once with their hands resting on the desk and once while allowed to gesture freely. Students in the “no‑gesturing” trial pause more often and produce more fillers (“um,” “uh”). Which theoretical conclusion is most strongly supported?

Gestures serve a cognitive role, facilitating lexical access and conceptual organisation.

When primary school children watch a slap‑stick cartoon with the sound muted, they accurately identify characters’ emotions 65 % of the time. When adults watch the same clip with mismatched dubbed dialogue (happy words over sad faces), adults still identify emotions correctly about 80 % of the time. Which developmental principle does this illustrate most directly?

With age, people become better at privileging non‑verbal channels when they conflict with verbal content.

Cohen (1981) conducted a study where participants were shown a videotape of a woman, whom they were told worked either as a waitress at a coffee shop or a librarian. then participants were asked to recall features of the video. What did the results of this study show?

That stereotypes influence the way we perceive and recall information.

Why might someone comply with a salesperson’s second, more reasonable offer after rejecting an unreasonably large first offer?

They feel obligated to reciprocate the concession

Two equally empathic students witness a cyclist crash. Student X is late for an exam; Student Y has free time. According to Darley & Batson’s Good Samaritan findings, which outcome is most likely and why?

Only Y helps—time pressure inhibits helping despite empathy.

Which is true for people experiencing mild depression?

They tend to have more accurate estimates of how much control they have in life

Burgoon, Guerrero & Floyd’s (2016) synthesis suggests that, in typical face‑to‑face interaction, roughly what percentage range of a message’s total meaning is conveyed through extra‑linguistic channels?

60 – 66 %

A student agrees to put a small “recycle” sticker on their laptop. A week later, they’re asked to volunteer at a recycling drive—and they agree. This is best explained by:

The consistency principle

Low self-esteem is defined by:

A confusion about what the self is

Asch (1955) conducted a study where participants were asked to identify, aloud, which of several vertical lines matched the length of another particular line. Participants who heard confederates give incorrect answers also provided the same incorrect answers about a third of the time. This study demonstrates the power of:

Conformity

A charity caller begins by asking, “How are you feeling this evening?” before making a donation request. Why is this an effective tactic?

It encourages a positive self-image that’s inconsistent with refusing to help

A research team re‑runs the Cyberball paradigm but allows excluded participants to choose between (a) blasting loud noise at the ostracisers, or (b) sending a friendly message asking to be included. Which personality trait is LEAST likely to predict option (a) over option (b)?

High empathic concern.

One of the reasons that people might not report discrimination when they experience is because:

Members of minority groups can be evaluated more negatively for attributing failures to discrimination.

Aversive racism is so called because:

Most people want to see themselves as non-prejudiced and so endorse fair treatment of all groups even though they subconsciously have negative feelings about minorities. 

During an online multiplayer game, players can see each other’s webcams in a sidebar. According to deindividuation theory, this setup should decrease toxic chat compared to voice‑only play because:

Visual self‑awareness cues counteract anonymity.

The self-serving bias suggests that:

People tend to attribute successes to something about them, but failures to bad luck or the situation

A health campaign tries a message to reduce sugary‑drink consumption that details the link between grams of sugar and long‑term disease risk. Under the Tri‑Partite (ABC) framework, which attitude component is the message most directly designed to influence?

Cognition

what are forms of nonverbal communication

• Body language - gestures, posture, facial expressions

• Vocal cues - tone, pitch, volume

• Interaction – touch, eye contact, interpersonal distance

• Dress – clothing, ‘general look’

What can nonverbal communication be used for

• convey emotions or intentions powerfully and convincingly

• can reveal unspoken emotions (joy, boredom, anger)

• can reveal unspoken intentions (competition, flirtation, or fear)

• plays a significant role in miscommunication, as interpretations can be highly subjective

• When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, nonverbal cues are usually trusted more

What percent is communication is nonverbal

60-66%

Context for nonverbal communication developmentally

• Very young children rely heavily on the literal meaning of words

• still developing the ability to interpret tone, facial cues, or sarcasm.

Context for nonverbal communication culturally

• Some cultures prioritize modesty and politeness in public, encouraging people to minimize negative expressions like anger or disgust in group settings

• Others are more comfortable with visible emotion, allowing raised voices or expressive gestures as a normal part of conversation

• When cultures with differing norms mix, each side may over- or under-interpret the other’s signals if they don’t realize how contextually driven those gestures and expressions are

Frick-Horbury & Guttentag (1988) - how do gestures facilitate speech production and fluency

Participants with unrestricted hand gestures retrieved and subsequently recalled significantly more words than participants whose hands were restricted

What can gestures be used for

• emblems

• illustrators

• regulators

• adaptors

Signs of deception via non verbal communication

• eye contact

• fidgeting or restlessness

• speech disturbances

Other approaches to deception

• emotional approach - lying triggers emotions (guilt, fear, excitement) - physiological arousal - can leak through nonverbal behaviors—tremors in the voice, facial “micro-expressions

• Cognitive Approach - lying is cognitively complex (fabricate details but ensure consistency) - mental load - slower speech, longer pauses, and fewer gestures

• Self-Presentation Approach - liars try to control expressions and body language - rigid or inhibited behavior - appear unnaturally still or too controlled

Contextual approaches to detecting deception

• High stakes - easier to spot due to high emotional load

• Complexity - slip up when forced to maintain complex narratives over time

• Prior Knowledge – knowing the person well gives you a baseline to compare to

• Bias - strong desire to believe or disbelieve can lead you to see cues where there are none or miss clear cues

What is existentialism

emphasizes that you are defined by the decisions and actions that you do

what is predispositions

born that way

how does society influence the self

product of your time and circumstances

What is privileged access

you know yourself better than anyone else → however it is biased

what are the three positive illusions

abilities, control and optimism

How is success viewed

internal cause

How is failure viewed

external cause

what is selective criticism

where you weed out information that you don’t like that ultimately builds your self-esteem on a positive view

What are some self-deception strategies

downward comparison, false consensus and false uniqueness

How may self esteem be good

• bolsters initiative - people act on what they think

• happier

• more resilience

• keeps track of what is important (liking and self-deception (fooling yourself to fool others))

what are some theories of low self esteem

• don’t expect their wants to happen

• self-concept confusion to protect themselves from failure

Define persuasion

the process of influencing peoples attitudes, beliefs or behaviors through communication

define compliance

changing behavior in response to a request without necessarily changing attitudes

define obedience

compliance to a direct order from an authority

what is the source of influence for persuasion

communicator

what is the source of influence for compliance

peer or someone without formal power

what is the source of influence for obedience

Authority figure with perceived power

is persuasion voluntary

Voluntary and internally motivated

is compliance voluntary

Voluntary, but influenced by social pressure

is obedience voluntary

Perceived as obligatory or required

does persuasion involve attitude change

Yes – attitude or belief change is central

does compliance involve attitude change

Not necessarily – behavior may change without beliefs

does obedience involve attitude change

Rarely – behavior change often without agreement

what are some techniques for persuasion

Logical arguments, emotional appeals, credibility

what are some techniques for compliance

Reciprocity, liking, social proof, scarcity (Cialdini)

what are some techniques for obedience

Commands, orders, direct instruction (Milgram)

what is the psychological focus of persuasion

Communication, attitude change, motivation

what is the psychological focus of compliance

Social norms, heuristics, interpersonal pressure

what is the psychological focus of obedience

Power, authority, hierarchy, obedience to rules

what is the process of McGuires chain of persuasion

Presentation -> Attention -> Comprehension -> Yielding -> Retention -> Behavior

what is the focus and key insight of McGuires Chain model

Message processing stages + Persuasion is a step-by-step process

what is the focus and key insight of Brocks Cognitive Response

Internal thoughts + Our reactions to the message shape persuasion

what is the focus and key insight of ELM

Depth of processing + Route taken changes how lasting the effect is

Explain Cialdini’s six principles of compliance

• Reciprocation

• consistency

• social proof

• liking

• scarcity

• authority

What goes inside the mind of the person receiving persuasive message

1. generate cognitive responses — supportive or counter argument

2. these thoughts determine whether persuasion succeeds or fails

3. its important about what we think about what has been said

how to design persuasive messages

1. stimulate supportive thought — use credible sources, etc.

2. minimise counter arguments — anticipate objections and address them

3. encourage active engagement

what are the routes to persuasion

• central route - deep thinking, logic, evidence

• peripheral route - surface cues like attractiveness, repetition or slogans

How to utilise cialdinis six principles of compliance

• Explain how people are persuaded to comply, often without any deep processing

• Grounded in real-life compliance tactics

• Automatic, fast, low-effort influences on behaviour

• Focus on social norms, heuristics, and automatic triggers of compliance

• Shifts the lens from “how people change attitudes” to “how people are nudged to say yes”

• Behaviour change can occur without attitude change

What is Well Festinger’s social comparison theory

People have a constant drive to evaluate themselves, therefore, through the use of social cues are more willing to comply with a request or behaviour if its consistent with what others are thinking or doing

What is the list technique

A targeted person has been shown a list of others who have already agreed to the same request → pressures of conformity

What is informational influence

a type of social influence where an individual changes their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors to align with others because they believe those others possess accurate information or expertise, especially in uncertain or ambiguous situations

What is normative influence

the social pressure to conform to a group's behavior, values, or beliefs to gain social approval, avoid embarrassment, and be accepted by others. It results in public compliance with social norms, even if the individual doesn't privately agree with them

identify the main principle in this scenario:

You are sitting at the traffic lights when a man appears out of nowhere and starts cleaning your window. You feel as if you can’t ask him to stop, and once he is finished, you pay him $2. You wonder why you paid $2 for somebody to clean your window when you could just have used the built-in windscreen washer.

Reciprocation

identify the main principle:

You have just purchased a house. Your bank manager suggests that your purchase obviously indicates that you care about the welfare of yourself and your family given that you have made such an important investment. You are then asked if you would like to purchase life insurance. You subsequently agree even though you had never thought about purchasing life insurance in the past

Consistency

Identify the main principle:

You are at a restaurant. You are having trouble selecting between the most expensive (but seemingly appetising) meal and a meal that is somewhat cheaper. You ask your waitress for advice and she looks around to see where her supervisor is before answering. She suggests you take the cheaper option because the more expensive option isn’t as tasty as it sounds. She then asks you if you would like her to order wine and dessert to complement the meal. You agree.

Liking

Identify the main principle:

You answer the phone and a representative of a national charity is on the other end of the line. They want to know if you would be willing to collect for the charity every weekend over the next three months for your suburb and the three surrounding suburbs. When you refuse, the representative asks if you’d be willing to just collect in your own suburb over the next weekend. You agree to this second request without hesitation.

Reciprocation

Identify the main principle:

You are purchasing a car, and the salesman asks you to commit to buying the car at a very good price, so that he can go to his manager and negotiate the sale at that price. He says he has a greater chance of convincing the manager to sell the car at that price if you say you are definitely going to buy it. You agree. The salesman returns after some time with a concerned look on his face. The manager can’t agree to that price because the salesman miscalculated the price of the car, and the company would be losing money if it went through with the sale. The salesman informs you that the actual price of the car is marginally higher than the price you initially committed to. You still buy the car.

Consistency

Identify the main principle:

You are driving to the shop when you see a roadworks sign advising that a lower speed limit is in place. Soon after, a man in dark blue trousers and a light blue shirt with various badges and insignia attached and holding a “Slow” sign motions for you to slow down. You immediately reduce the speed of your car.

Authority

Elements that create liking

• physical attractiveness

• similarity

• cooperation

• compliments

How to be consistent with persuasion

• foot in the door

• low balling

• bait and switch

Explain what the algebraic model is

formed on the basis of the mechanical combination of information that we know about a person

Explain what the configurational model is

Looking at the central and peripheral traits of a person - the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

What are schemas

cognitive structures that represent our knowledge about a concept or type of stimulus formed on past experiences

what are some types of schemas

• event

• role/script

• person (stereotypes)

• implicit personality theory

• self

Explain what availability heuristic is

when people judge on events frequency by the case with which they can bring examples of the event to mind

Explain what representative heuristic is

estimate the likelihood that somebody belongs to a group by comparing the features of that person to the prototype for that group

what is attribution theory

explains how people interpret and explain the causes of events and behaviors, including their own and others'. It focuses on whether these causes are attributed to internal factors (like ability or effort) or external factors (like luck or circumstances)

Explain what covariation principle is

the additional information that we’ve been observing multiple behaviors and how we can use that info to make different types of attributions

What is the three components of prejudice (tri-partite model)

• behavioral - discrimination

• affective - feelings of another group

• cognitive - beliefs about a group (stereotype)

What is the kernel of truth

core essence of a statement that can be considered true, even if the surrounding information is incorrect

What is benevolent sexism

Presents itself as complimentary but can still have harmful consequences. It often involves idealizing women who conform to traditional gender roles, while simultaneously reinforcing gender stereotypes and undermining women's agency.

What is hostile sexism

involves negative, antagonistic attitudes toward women who challenge traditional gender roles, viewing them as manipulative competitors and threats to male dominance

What is the impact of hostile sexism

since its easier to identify it can have a motivating impact to women who experience

What is the impact of benevolent sexism

harder to identify it can cause more long-term effects - confusion, decreased confidence, may alter their own sexism to match

What is stereotype threat

the increased likelihood for people to perform such stereotype because they’re distracted by their concerns of being stereotyped - affects people who identify try to remove themself from the stereotype

Explain what a self-fulfilling prophecy is

When our expectation of a person changes the way we interact with them, which can change their behavior in line with our expectations (expectations become reality)