Social Judgement Theory
Definition:
A perception and an evaluation of an issue by comparing it to current attitudes
|
Latitude of acceptance
Positions which are acceptable to us. |
Latitude of rejection
Positions which we openly reject. |
Latitude of non commitment
Positions which we neither accept or reject. |
- Principle 1 and 2: People have categories of judgement in which they utilize when assessing an issue
How crucial is the issue?
Ego Involvement: The importance of the issue to a person's life
Ego Involvement: The importance of the issue to a person's life
- Principle 3: the level of ego-involvement impacts the range of our latitudes
Do you agree or disagree?
Contrast: When a person receives a message that is disagreeing with their attitudinal anchor.
Assimilation: When people receive a message similar to their attitudinal anchor.
Contrast: When a person receives a message that is disagreeing with their attitudinal anchor.
Assimilation: When people receive a message similar to their attitudinal anchor.
- Principle 4: People typically alter the message to fit their own judgements
- Principle 5: Change will only be induced if there is a small difference between a person's anchor position and the position that is being projected.
- This video explains the use of the social judgement theory using the example of convincing a friend to buy a slice of pizza. To clarify any confusion, the definition of an anchor is the position on an issue that a person accepts the most.
Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A. M., & Sparks, G. G. (2015). A first look at communication theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Social Judgment Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/social_judgment.htm