Social Judgment Theory

Muzafer Sherif

Exercise

A) Airlines arent willing to spend money on tight security. B) All life is risk. Flying is like anything else. C) Anyone willing to die for a cause can hijack a plane. D) Air marshals with guns can deter terrorists. E) There are old pilots and bold pilots; there are no old,bold pilots.

F) Pilots drink before they fly to quell their fears of skyjacking. G) Getting there by plane is safer than taking the train or bus. H) American pilots are trained to handle any inflight emergency. I) Its easy into get in the cockpit of a jet airplane. J) Passenger screening is better since checkers were federalized. K) The odds of a plane crash are 1 in 10 million.

Theory in a nutshell

Social Judgment Theory:

Perception and evaluation of an idea by comparing it with current attitudes Attitudes are better described as amalgams of three zones, as they cannot be represented adequately as a point along a continuum People use reference groups to define their identities

Three Latitudes

Latitude of Acceptance:

The range of ideas that a person sees as reasonable or worthy of consideration The range of ideas that a person sees as unreasonable or objectionable The range of ideas that a person sees as neither acceptable or objectionable

Latitude of Rejection:

Latitude of Noncommitment:

Ego-Involvement

Ego-Involvement:

Typical characteristics of individuals with high ego-involvement:

The importance or centrality of an issue to a persons life; often demonstrated by membership in a group with a known stand
The latitude of non-commitment is almost nonexistant Having a wide latitude of rejection People who hold extreme opinions on either side of an issue almost always care deeply; extreme positions and high ego-involvement go together

Judging the Message

Contrast:

A perceptual error whereby people judge messages that fall within their latitudes of rejection as further from their anchor than they really are
A perceptual error whereby people judge messages that fall within their latitudes of acceptance as less discrepant from their anchor than they really are

Assimilation:

Using discrepancy to change opinions

First stage of attitude change is judging how close or how far a message is from our own anchored position. Second stage is shifting our anchor in response. Once weve judged a new message to be within our latitude of acceptance, we will adjust our attitude somewhat to accomadate that new imput The greater the discrepancy, the more hearers will adjust their attitudes. Boomerang effect: Attitude change in the opposite direction of what the message advocated; listeners driven away from rather than drawn to an idea.

Persuasion

Persuasion is a gradual process Persuasion is also a social process

Interpersonal bonds are required for long lasting or dramatic attitude shifts. Most dramatic cases of attitude change, the most widespread and enduring, are those involving changes in reference groups with differing values.

Persuasion cont.

Truths found through testing

A highly credible speaker can stretch the hearers latitude of acceptance. Ambiguity can often server better than clarity. There are some people who are dogmatic on every issue.

Critique Ethical Issue

What kind of theory?

Deterministic Grand