CHAPTER 8: PERSONALITY AND PERSUASION
Chapter objectives
This chapter reviews notions of personality and susceptibility to persuasion. It focuses on
personality factors that influence persuaability, or susceptibility to persuasive communications.
Terms and issues to know
Argumentativeness
Dogmatism
Gender and persuasibility
Myths of the vulnerable other
Need for affect
Need for closure
Role of intelligence
Self-esteem
Self-monitoring
Verbal aggressiveness
Chapter outline
I. The Myth of the Vulnerable Other
A. Researchers have studied who might be most susceptible to persuasive communications
B. Researchers speculated that people low in self-esteem might be especially inclined to
acquiesce to persuasive communicators
2. One explanation is that individuals low in self-esteem are preoccupied with their own
problems and worried about themselves. Dwelling on their own predicaments, they
do not pay attention to or comprehend the message
C. People high in self-esteem may tune into the message, directing attention outward (to the
communication) rather than inward (toward their own thoughts and feelings)
D. When low- and high-self-
G. There are few strong sex differences in persuasibility (Eagly & Carli, 1981)
1. Found that women were more likely than men to yield to the advocated viewpoint
II. Need for Cognition
A.
198).
B. People high in need for cognition:
1. Enjoy thinking abstractly
3. Generate a greater number of issue-relevant thoughts
4. Seek more information about complex issues than those low in NFC
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C. People low in need for cognition:
2. They are frequently swayed more by such simple cues as source credibility,
communicator attractiveness, and celebrity endorsements
D. You have to be somewhat intelligent to enjoy contemplating issues; thus, there is a
modest relationship between verbal intelligence and need for cognition
E. Research also points to the intriguing possibility that people low and high in need for
cognition are persuaded by different media
III. Self-Monitoring
A. High self-monitors put a premium on displaying appropriate behavior in social situations
B. High self-monitors devote a great deal of cognitive energy to processing a message
when it is delivered by a prestigious, attractive, and popular source
C. Low self-monitors are less concerned with playing a role or displaying socially
IV. Dogmatism
A. Dogmatism is the tendency to close off mind to new ideas and accept only the
opinions of conventional, established authorities
B. Individuals high in dogmatism:
2. They are also willing to accept the views of an expert, even when he or she uses
weak arguments to support the position (DeBono & Klein, 1993)
3. Hard to convince high-dogmatic individuals of anything
C. Low-dogmatic individuals are:
1. Open-minded
3. Willing to consider good arguments on behalf of a position
4. More open to persuasion, particularly from strong arguments
V. Additional Issues
A. A personality trait can affect attitudes by influencing the amount of thinking people
engage in when considering the issue
VI. Other Personality Factors
A. The need to evaluate
good or bad
B. People high in this need are prone to form opinions about people and issues
C. The need for affect focuses on a need to tune in to – or tune out – emotional events (Maio
& Esses, 2001)
2. They believe that strong emotions are beneficial, and emotions help people function
well in life
D. The need for closure involves a preference for getting a definitive answer on an issue and
a discomfort with ambiguity (Holbert & Hansen, 2006; Webster & Kruglanski, 1994)
1. Individuals high in need for closure may be less motivated to process persuasive
VII. Conclusions
A. Complex relationship between personality and persuasibility
B. nitive needs and self-monitoring tendency are
Discussion points/ projects/ questions
1. Evaluate yourself (Box 8.1: Need for Cognition Scale). What do you think this says about
your need to evaluate information? In what ways might your level of need for cognition be
helpful and in what ways might it be a hindrance?
2. Evaluate yourself with Box 8.2 (Self-Monitoring Scale). Determine if you are a low,
moderate, or high self monitor. What does this say about your susceptibility to