Social Psych Exam 2

In the context of dissonance theory, a way of reducing dissonance by reminding oneself of one or more of one's positive attributes

The tendency to overestimate the intensity and duration of one's emotional reactions to future negative events

dissonance aroused after making a decision, typically reduced by enhancing the attractiveness of the chosen alternative and devaluating the rejected alternatives

a strategy whereby a salesperson induces a customer to agree to purchase a product at a low cost, subsequently claims it was an error, and then raises the price; frequently, the customer will agree to make the purchase at the inflated price

the tendency for individuals to increase their liking for something they have worked hard to attain

a reason or an explanation for dissonant personal behavior that resides outside the individual (like to receive a large reward, avoid severe punishment, or keep from hurting someone's feelings)

The reduction of dissonance by changing something about oneself (one's attitude or behavior)

Stating an opinion or attitude that runs counter to one's private belief or attitude

the dissonance aroused when individuals lack sufficient external justification for having resisted a desired activity or object, usually resulting in individuals devaluing the forbidden activity or object

a long-lasting form of attitude change that results from attempts at self-justification

the arousal of dissonance by having individuals make statements that run counter to their behaviors and then reminding them of the inconsistency between what they advocated and their behavior. The purpose is to lead individuals to more responsible behavior.

evaluations of people, objects, and ideas

An attitude based primarily on people's beliefs about the properties of an attitude object

an attitude based more on people's feelings and values than on their beliefs about the nature of an attitude object (like sometimes we simply like a car, even if it does get bad gas mileage)

an attitude based on observations of how one behaves toward an object

attitudes that we consciously endorse and can easily report

attitudes that exist outside of conscious awareness

the strength of the association between an attitude object and a person's evaluation of that object, measured by the speed with which people can report how they feel about the object

the idea that people's intentions are the best predictors of their deliberate behaviors, which are determined by their attitudes toward specific behaviors, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control

a message advocating a particular side of an issue

The study of the conditions under which people are most likely to change their attitudes in response to persuasive messages, focusing on the source of the communication, the nature of the communication, and the nature of the audience

a model explaining two ways in which persuasive comm can cause attitude change; centrally, when people are motivated and have the ability to pay attention to the arguments in the comm, and peripherally, when people do not pay attention to the arguments but are instead swayed by surface characteristics

the case in which people have both the ability and the motivation to elaborate on a persuasive comm, listening carefully to and thinking about the arguments presented

The case in which people do not elaborate on the arguments in a persuasive communication but are instead swayed by more superficial cues

Persuasive message that attempts to change people's attitudes by arousing their fears

An explanation of the two ways in which persuasive communications can cause attitude change: either systematically processing the merits of the arguments or using mental shortcuts or heuristics

words or pictures that are not consciously perceived but may nevertheless influence judgments, attitudes, and behaviors

making people immune to attempts to change their attitudes by initially exposing them to small doses of the arguments against their position

the idea that when people feel their freedom to perform a certain behavior is threatened, an unpleasant state of resistance is aroused, which they can reduce by performing the prohibited behavior