Test questions

You should provide research evidence within your answer for each question. Most of the questions deal with topics discussed in more than one class. Answers should be about 1-2 typed, double spaced pages.

1. Imagine that you wanted to start a cult. What would you do to ensure success?

2. Based on what you’ve learned in the class, provide your own definitions of persuasion, propaganda, and influence. How are these concepts similar and different from each other? Provide examples.

3. Imagine that you are a political consultant. Choose a candidate and provide at least 3 suggestions for what he/she should do/not do to increase his/her chances of winning the election. Relate the suggestions to research findings.

4. Describe Petty and Cacioppo’s Elaboration Likelihood Model. Choose two of Cialdini’s influence techniques and discuss them in terms of the ELM.

5. How does emotion contribute to persuasion? Give specific examples/effects.

6. The way we think about things (schemas, metaphors, symbols, etc.) can affect how we view situations. Citing research, give several examples of how metaphors can guide our lives.

7. Describe how you could use the tenets of cognitive dissonance theory to 1) get someone in Al-Queda to break and give you information on the group; 2) get your friend to break up with his girlfriend; and 3) sell a stereo.

8. We’ve discussed how several findings/concepts related to influence may be evolutionary in origin. Choose two, describe them, and explain why they may be evolutionary and what evidence there is for their evolutionary origins.

9. What individuals (characteristics, etc.) are most persuasive? What can we do to make ourselves more persuasive?

10. How do our impressions of social norms affect our attitudes and behaviors? Does it matter whether these impressions are correct?

11. What does research say about the consequences of an “us vs. them” mentality? How can this mentality be avoided?

12. Describe how you could use three of Cialdini’s influence techniques to encourage people to recycle.

13. Why do people obey authority? What factors make obedience more or less likely?

14. What factors make a rumor spread? If you wanted to ensure that your rumor got its largest possible audience, what could you do?

15. Memetics, Dynamic Social Impact Theory, and the Tipping Point all deal with the spread of ideas and behaviors. Compare and contrast the three approaches in terms of what spreads, by who, and through what mechanisms. Are there any ways in which the approaches are inconsistent with one another?

16. Are attitudes heritable? Explain.

17. Explain how you could use the principles of the Tipping Point to start or stop an epidemic of your choosing (not one from the book).

18. How does group size affect influence?

19. How are people connected to each other (e.g., cite research from Milgram, Harton & Bourgeois)? How does connectivity affect influence?

20. How can we resist propaganda? Provide several examples.