Author Question: Forewarning generally improves resistance to persuasion--but not always. Describe briefly how ... (Read 86 times)

segrsyd · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

Forewarning generally improves resistance to persuasion--but not always. Describe briefly how forewarning may produce attitude change in the direction of the message. What motivation might drive such a result? What role might source credibility play?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Some universities have run public service ads in which they give the results of a careful survey of their students with what students say is the average number of beers or drinks they are likely to consume in a given evening.

Apart from establishing a drinking social norm, why be so explicit about the actual number of drinks? That is, what psychological tendency might the ads be attempting to thwart?

scottmt · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer:
When people receive information about a persuasive message to be delivered by an expert, they make arrangements to be pre-convinced, so as to make themselves appear resistant to having their attitude easily changed. In other words, I'm not gullible. The expert, of course, is highly credible.

Answer to Question 2

Answer:
It turns out that people tend to believe that many people drink more than they do; in other words, they tend to engage in pluralistic ignorance. The ads state the average reported consumption quite explicitly so that people will quit imagining that they themselves are some sort of weirdo if they don't consume large amounts of alcohol.