According to Social Psychology studies of attitude change and persuasion, around what age are we LEAST likely to be persuased to change our attitudes?
48 ?years old
18 ?years old
78 ?years old
Actually, age is unrelated to how easily we’re persuaded to change attitudes.
211 ?point
Over time, we often forget the source of the message, but remember the content. Thus, messages from a source who is not credible can become more persuasive over time. This phenomenon is known as
Spontaneous processing
Implicit attitude change
Cognitive dissonance
The sleeper effect
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The Least Likely Age to Be Persuaded: 48 years old
Social psychology studies suggest that we are least likely to be persuaded to change our attitudes around middle adulthood, particularly in our 40s to 50s. This is primarily due to cognitive and social factors that develop as we age. Individuals in this age range tend to have more stable, crystallized attitudes and belief systems due to the accumulation of life experiences, knowledge, and stronger social networks. Over time, people become more resistant to attitude change because they are more confident in their established views, making them less open to new information or persuasion. Younger people (such as teenagers and young adults) are often more open to influence because they are still forming their attitudes and are more susceptible to external social pressures.
The age-related differences in susceptibility to persuasion are well-supported by social psychology research. As people age, their cognitive and emotional resources are shaped by a more well-established self-concept, and their social identity tends to solidify. The older we get, the less we are inclined to change our established attitudes, particularly on personal or identity-related matters. This is why the answer is 48 years old – individuals in their 40s or older are less malleable in their attitude shifts compared to younger individuals.
The Sleeper Effect: The Correct Answer
The phenomenon where messages from a source who is not credible become more persuasive over time is known as the sleeper effect. This occurs because, over time, individuals tend to forget the source of the message but retain the message content. Initially, when the source is perceived as untrustworthy or not credible, the message is discounted. However, as time passes, the connection to the unreliable source fades, and the content itself becomes more persuasive. Essentially, what once seemed unconvincing due to the source’s lack of credibility can later gain more influence as people evaluate the message on its own merits.
The sleeper effect is significant in attitude change, as it suggests that the impact of persuasive messages can grow over time, even if the source was initially considered unreliable or untrustworthy. This phenomenon has been studied extensively in social psychology, illustrating how the passage of time can alter the way we perceive information and influence our attitudes.