PART I:
1. Assume your employee is taking small items from work. How could you create cognitive dissonance in that employee to try to correct the problem? You are a traffic court judge who is trying to stop a speeder from repeating her offense. How could you use cognitive dissonance to do so?
2. How do you change someone's attitude? If you wanted to persuade Mrs. Jones (who is actively opposed to the death penalty) and Mrs. Smith (who is also opposed to the death penalty, but has not taken a firm or active stance on the issue) to change their attitudes on the death penalty, what techniques would you use for each person?

3. Imagine that you are creating commercials for a new brand of “diet” food. What would you stress in your commercial to be most convincing to high self-monitors? What would you stress in your commercial to be most convincing to low self-monitors?

4. Imagine you have been accused of a crime you did not commit. Discuss what you could do to protect yourself from giving a false confession to the crime. Focus on what variables increase one’s resistance to persuasion.

PART II:
Many advertisers attempt to activate consumers’ cognitive shortcuts for making reasonable judgments as to the accuracy of persuasive messages. Screen television commercials, “pop-up” Internet ads, and/or newspaper/magazine advertisements. Locate one that focuses on each of the following shortcuts. After you have described how the shortcut was utilized, rate how persuasive you find each advertisement to be.

1. Communicator Credibility:
How convincing do you find this ad to be?Why?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
not at extremely
all persuasive persuasive

2. Responses of Others:
How convincing do you find this ad to be?Why?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
not at extremely
all persuasive persuasive

3. Availability of Ideas:
How convincing do you find this ad to be? Why?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
not at extremely
all persuasive persuasive

PART III
Directions: In this assessment, you will demonstrate your knowledge of cognitive dissonance. Please read the following passage and then answer the question to follow. Be sure to explain your answer in detail and demonstrate your understanding of cognitive dissonance.

The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) in Corwin Springs, Montana, attracted national attention when its leader, Clare Prophet, predicted the end of the world in the spring of 1990. She directed her followers into bomb shelters and had the followers prepare for the worst. Although she was wrong in her prediction, the church still remains a strong presence in the community. Members did not flee en masse following the failure of her prediction.

Given your knowledge of cognitive dissonance theory, should you be surprised that Clare Prophet’s followers stayed with the church after her prediction did not come true? Explain your answer in full and base it on cognitive dissonance theory.

PART I: 1. Assume your employee is taking small items from work. H...