Reference no: EM133532946

Part 1

1. What is one of the primary weaknesses of relying on intentionality as a defining characteristic of persuasion?

2. What are the limitations of using an "effects" standard as the basis for a definition of persuasion?

3. Do Gass and Seiter believe there is such a thing as self-persuasion? Why or why not?

Part 2

In this activity, you will scrutinize the nature of the images and associations made by automobile manufacturers.

Visit the website of any new car dealer and find an ad for a particular make and model of car. Select a variety of types of ads for comparison: sports cars, luxury cars, sport-utility vehicles, smaller, budget-minded cars, pick-up trucks, etc.

Analyze the ads to see what kinds of images and associations are being made (fun, prestige, power, family togetherness, coolness, escape, etc.). What kind of idealized lifestyle is being portrayed by each ad. Some ads may portray multiple lifestyles (e.g., a reliable car for commuting to and from work, and a great car for weekend get-aways).

Make a list of the images associated with different types of cars on the board.

Part 3

In this activity you will explore the concept of cognitive dissonance.

The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock (New York, Workman Publishing, 1987), is chock full of questions involving moral dilemmas that produce psychological angst. Although the examples are hypothetical, of course, they can still give students a sense of the psychological discomfort one experiences when holding contradictory beliefs, or choosing between incompatible alternatives. Some examples of questions are:

1. For someone you loved deeply, would you move to a far-away country with little chance of seeing your family again?

2. Owing to a mix-up at the hospital, you discover your one-year-old child is, not yours. Would you want to exchange the child to try to correct the mistake? Would it matter if the child were an angel or a brat?

3. If you could increase your IQ by 50 points, but would have to have a hideous scar running from the corner of your eye to the corner of your mouth, would you do it?

4. Would you murder an innocent person if it would end world hunger?

5. Is there any cause you would be willing to die for?

6. Other than family members and intimates, is there any public figure you would throw yourself in front of a train to save?

What choice would you make? Would your choice arouse any dissonance? What strategies might be used to reduce the dissonance?