Potential Exam Questions for Media Effects Research: A Basic Overview (5th Edition) by Glenn
G. Sparks
Chapter 8
1. According to the text, the three dimensions of significant persuasion are:
a. change in attitude, change in emotion, change in behavior
2. According to the text, an advertising executive at Wyse Advertising estimated that a
certain percentage of all ads used some form of subliminal technique. What percentage
was cited?
3. According to the text, Doob and Macdonald thought the relationship between TV
exposure and fear of criminal victimization that was often observed by George Gerbner
in his studies was, quite possibly, due to a variable that Gerbner had ignored in previous
studies. That variable was:
a. level of prior aggression in the population
4. According to the text, in the study about paranormal beliefs where students were shown
different “tags” prior to viewing an episode of the program, Beyond Reality, which of the
following statements best describes the results in the condition where students heard a
“reality tag” and were told that the program’s events actually happened?
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part.
a. Belief in astral projection decreased slightly, but the decrease was not statistically
significant.
b. Belief in astral projection increased, but the increase was not statistically
significant.
c. Belief in astral projection decreased significantly.
d. Belief in astral projection increased significantly.
e. Belief in UFOs and space aliens increased significantly.
5. According to the text, what was the real master stroke that the researchers managed to
accomplish in the study referred to as The Great American Values Test?
a. They were actually able to measure real values in their subject population.
b. They were able to measure persuasion among viewers who had been interrupted
6. According to the text, protection motivation theory emphasizes three critical ingredients
in a persuasive message. They are:
e. the motivation of the audience to comply; the ability of the audience to comply;
the extent to which the audience feels protected by the message
7. According to the text, which of the following best summarizes Em Griffin’s view of the
wisdom of using guilt to persuade people?
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part.
c. Guilt is a technique that can unlock the subliminal desires that have been
repressed, resulting in low levels of immediate persuasion but higher levels of
persuasion over the long-term.
d. Guilt operates according to the principle of reciprocity—if you make me feel
guilty then I’ll make you feel guilty.
e. Guilt is persuasive with some people and not so persuasive with others—the
persuader really needs to know the audience before using the guilt appeal.
8. According to the text, the inclusion of laugh-tracks on situation comedies is a good
example of which of the following principles of persuasion?
9. According to the text, the study that exposed children to commercials featuring either
French fries or apple dippers found that when children were given a choice of either food
after watching the commercials:
e. There was a strong effect of parental advice: If parents instructed their children to
choose the healthier food, they almost always did so.
10. According to the text, which of the following is the best summary of what happened to
cigarette sales after the FCC required TV and radio stations to begin airing anti-smoking
messages?
a. Cigarette sales increased substantially for reasons that are still debated.
b. Cigarette sales increased substantially because the tobacco companies countered