A First Look At Communication Theory, 10e (Griffin)
1) Which of the following statements is true about the latitude of noncommitment?
A) It consists of items that people find neither objectionable nor acceptable.
B) It mainly consists of ideas that people who fear commitment perceive as worthy of
consideration.
C) It consists of ideas and opinions that do not define an individual’s attitude.
D) It primarily consists of the opinions that are crossed out as unreasonable in surveys.
2) ________ is defined as a perceptual error whereby people judge messages that fall within their
latitude of rejection as farther from their anchor than they really are.
A) Selection
B) Assimilation
C) Contrast
D) De-anchoring
3) Most dramatic cases of attitude change, the most widespread and enduring, are those
involving changes in:
A) reference groups with differing values.
B) interpersonal dyadic relationships with similar values.
C) cultural groups with similar values.
D) intense intrapersonal struggle.
4) Membership in a group with a known stand is an indication of a:
A) high ego-involvement.
B) low ego-involvement.
C) large latitude of noncommitment.
D) small latitude of rejection.
5) ________ is defined as the mistaken idea that everyone else is doing or thinking something
that they aren’t.
A) Fundamental attribution error
B) Self-fulfilling prophecy
C) Anticipated future interaction
D) Pluralistic ignorance
6) High source credibility has the effect of:
A) strengthening the anchor point.
B) broadening the latitude of acceptance.
C) broadening the latitude of rejection.
D) None of the answers is correct.
7) Steve is a member of Opportunity International, an organization that provides opportunities
for people in chronic poverty through small business loans. This would suggest that he has a
________ on the issue of helping the poor.
A) high ego-involvement
B) low ego-involvement
C) large latitude of noncommitment
D) small latitude of rejection
8) Social judgment theory has been criticized because:
A) Sherif’s survey research was flawed.
B) it is a mechanistic approach to persuasion.
C) application of the theory raises ethical problems.
D) it is a mechanistic approach to persuasion and its application raises ethical problems.
9) Sherif warns that because of the boomerang effect, ________.
A) persuasion is virtually impossible in reference groups
B) messages aimed to persuade the listeners may have an opposite effect
C) anchor points must be carefully avoided
D) the best strategy when addressing a person with low ego-involvement is to aim within the
latitude of noncommitment
10) Which of the following was stated as an ethical absolute by German philosopher Immanuel
Kant?
A) disclosure of private information
B) categorical imperative
C) warranting value
D) uncertainty reduction
11) In social judgment theory, an individual’s stand is represented adequately as a point along a
continuum.
12) People who hold extreme opinions on either side of an issue almost always care deeply.
13) Extreme positions and high ego-involvement go together.
14) Since highly committed people tend to have large latitudes of rejection, any message that
falls within that range will be perceived by them as more discrepant from their anchor than it
really is.
15) According to Muzafer Sherif, assimilation happens only when a message falls within the
latitude of rejection and contrast takes place when a message falls within the latitude of
acceptance.
16) Judging how close or how far a message is from one’s own anchored position is the first
stage of attitude change.
17) A boomerang effect is likely to happen when a persuader chooses to advocate a message that
falls within another person’s latitude of acceptance.
18) The message that persuades the most is the one that is most discrepant from the listener’s
position yet falls within his or her latitude of acceptance or latitude of noncommitment.
19) When dealing with highly ego-involved people, the only way to stimulate large-scale change
is through a series of small, successive movements.
20) Although social judgment theory is rich in practical application, it lacks an intuitive appeal.
21) A person’s ________ of acceptance, rejection, or noncommitment reflects the cognitive
structure of opinions.
22) People with high ________ on a particular issue likely see it as central or important to their
life.
23) ________ is a perceptual distortion that leads to polarization of ideas, whereas ________ is
the opposite error in judgment that takes place when a message falls within the latitude of
acceptance.
24) What general strategies should be utilized to persuade an audience that has high ego-
involvement? How about a dogmatic audience?
25) Sherif states that the most dramatic, widespread, and enduring cases of attitude change
involve reference groups with differing values. Why would this be the case? Can you provide an
example from personal experience?
26) Describe the effect of source credibility on the process of making social judgments. What are
the implications of this finding for persuasion?
27) According to Sherif, persuasion is a two-step process. What does this mean?
28) Have you or one of your acquaintances ever undergone a major—perhaps life-altering—
change of mind or heart? How would social judgment theory account for such conversion
experiences, which cause sudden, radical shifts in position?
29) You and I have very different opinions on water conservation—I say, “Who cares, I’m
entitled to water my lawn” and you say, “Endangered species are more important than green
grass.” According to Sherif, what should you do to help me change my mind?
30) Griffin writes, “Even though Sherif crafted a cognitive theory, the mental processes he
describes are automatic. He reduced interpersonal influence to the issue of the distance between
the message and the hearer’s position.” What are the ramifications of this statement? Does free
will have a place in this approach to persuasion? You may wish to refer to or draw on other
theories to enhance your answer.
31) Griffin writes that “the effects of high ego-involvement on perception may be similar to
those of low cognitive complexity.” What are the implications of this claim? What are the
ramifications for those who are highly dedicated to causes, particularly in terms of their ability to
communicate?
32) How does Sherif’s theory mirror elements of constructivism? Are person-centered messages
that address a target’s latitude of acceptance or rejection potentially more persuasive than
“generic” appeals?