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.

 

 

 

Question 7

 

Watch the video Merchants of Cool at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/ After watching the video or reading the article, respond the following questions. (Must be a minimum of 400 word response)

 

How, and to what extent, does the mass media influence the public’s attitudes and behaviors? Do television shows and newscasts, for example, simply reflect what is happening in the world or do they carry the potential to actually cause real-life events? Apart from advertising, do you believe the members of the media engage in deliberate attempts to persuade people to adopt certain opinions and attitudes?

 

 

 

Question 8

 

Previously we have discussed many of the pros and some of the cons of Montessori education. If any of you have personal experience with the Montessori Method, please comment upon it here. Based upon what you now know about child development, can you think of any particular type of child for whom Montessori would not be a good fit? Are there any empirical data available to help answer this question (e.g., which children are suitable for a Montessori education)?  Do a little research on your own to see what the experts think and then form your own opinion. (Must be a minimum of 500 words)

 

 

 

Question 9

 

The question raised by Slife (2012): “Is Evolution a Good Explanation for Psychological Concepts?” debated in our course, Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Psychological Issues (Slife, 2012). Remember that a statement of the Slife (2012) question above followed by a “Yes” or “No” answer to it, depending on your assigned article perspective, should be the start of your initial post. (Must be a minimum of 400 words)

Select one psychological personality assessment instrument or inventory to serve as the basis of this assignment.

 

Explore the psychological literature to find three to five articles that test the use of this inventory or assessment on a specific population.

 

Create a 15- to 20-slide presentation of an in-depth examination of your selected test and its uses. Include the following in your presentation:

• A description of the characteristics, uses, and purposes of your selected assessment instrument or inventory, and how it would be used in the workplace

• An analysis of the relationship between your selected assessment and one of the major theories of personality

• A summary of your research findings, paying particular attention to differences in the ability of the instrument to differentiate diagnostically between the target population and the general population

• A list of psychometric properties of the test for the particular population

• A discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of assessment methods used

• A conclusion using a review of the literature on whether the instrument is an adequate measure of your selected characteristic, and any ethical considerations associated with your selected assessment