Social Psychology Exam 2 Part Extra
Study Guide.
Dabbs and Leventhal Study 1966 - CORRECT ANSWER In the mid 1960's, Howard Leventhal, a social
psychologist from Yale University, USA, invited a group of 30 senior students to participate in what they
thought was an experiment on a public health brochure evaluation. The tetanus pamphlet, as it was
called, was to be evaluated for its persuasiveness in communicating the dangers of tetanus and the
importance of inoculation.
To that effect, the students read the pamphlet, carefully analysed its contents and filled out the
evaluation report. When they were done they handed it to the experimenter and went on their merry
way thinking the experiment was over. In reality, though, the experiment had just begun.
While Leventhal really was trying to measure the persuasiveness of the pamphlet, his measure of
effectiveness was not how persuasive the participants thought or said it was but how it actually affected
their behaviour. He wanted to see how many of the participants would subsequently get vaccinated. To
make things interesting, he gave different students different pamphlets.
Those in the 'high fear' group received booklets with powerful language describing the risks of
contracting tetanus and vividly frightening images to show what it did to people. For those in the low
fear group, the experimenters toned down the language and took out the distressing images.
Leventhal wanted to see if higher fear levels in the pamphlet would lead to a higher number of
participants seeking inoculation.
It did not. After making regular checks with the medical centre for over a month, Leventhal found that
only one person out of the whole group had subsequently got the vaccination. Apart from scaring the
living day lights out of the participants, the fear appeal, and especially the high fear appeal, did nothing
to persuade the participants to seek vaccination.
Why Did the Fear Fail To Persu
Miller, Brickman, Bolen Study - CORRECT ANSWER The present research compared the relative
effectiveness of an attribution strategy with a persuasion strategy in changing behavior. Study 1
attempted to teach fifth graders not to litter and to clean up after others. An attribution group was
repeatedly told that they were neat and tidy people, a persuasion group was repeatedly told that they
should be neat and tidy, and a control group received no treatment. Attribution proved considerably
more effective in modifying behavior. Study 2 tried to discover whether similar effects would hold for a
more central aspect of school performance, math achievement and self-esteem, and whether an
attribution of ability would be as effective as an attribution of motivation. Repeatedly attributing to
second graders either the ability or the motivation to do well in math proved more effective than
comparable persuasion or no-treatment control groups, although a group receiving straight
reinforcement for math problem-solving behavior also did well. It is suggested that persuasion often
Study Guide.
Dabbs and Leventhal Study 1966 - CORRECT ANSWER In the mid 1960's, Howard Leventhal, a social
psychologist from Yale University, USA, invited a group of 30 senior students to participate in what they
thought was an experiment on a public health brochure evaluation. The tetanus pamphlet, as it was
called, was to be evaluated for its persuasiveness in communicating the dangers of tetanus and the
importance of inoculation.
To that effect, the students read the pamphlet, carefully analysed its contents and filled out the
evaluation report. When they were done they handed it to the experimenter and went on their merry
way thinking the experiment was over. In reality, though, the experiment had just begun.
While Leventhal really was trying to measure the persuasiveness of the pamphlet, his measure of
effectiveness was not how persuasive the participants thought or said it was but how it actually affected
their behaviour. He wanted to see how many of the participants would subsequently get vaccinated. To
make things interesting, he gave different students different pamphlets.
Those in the 'high fear' group received booklets with powerful language describing the risks of
contracting tetanus and vividly frightening images to show what it did to people. For those in the low
fear group, the experimenters toned down the language and took out the distressing images.
Leventhal wanted to see if higher fear levels in the pamphlet would lead to a higher number of
participants seeking inoculation.
It did not. After making regular checks with the medical centre for over a month, Leventhal found that
only one person out of the whole group had subsequently got the vaccination. Apart from scaring the
living day lights out of the participants, the fear appeal, and especially the high fear appeal, did nothing
to persuade the participants to seek vaccination.
Why Did the Fear Fail To Persu
Miller, Brickman, Bolen Study - CORRECT ANSWER The present research compared the relative
effectiveness of an attribution strategy with a persuasion strategy in changing behavior. Study 1
attempted to teach fifth graders not to litter and to clean up after others. An attribution group was
repeatedly told that they were neat and tidy people, a persuasion group was repeatedly told that they
should be neat and tidy, and a control group received no treatment. Attribution proved considerably
more effective in modifying behavior. Study 2 tried to discover whether similar effects would hold for a
more central aspect of school performance, math achievement and self-esteem, and whether an
attribution of ability would be as effective as an attribution of motivation. Repeatedly attributing to
second graders either the ability or the motivation to do well in math proved more effective than
comparable persuasion or no-treatment control groups, although a group receiving straight
reinforcement for math problem-solving behavior also did well. It is suggested that persuasion often
