Things You Need to Know About:

Social Judgment Theory

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PROPO MAIN
NENTS IDEA
A6tude   change   is   mediated   by   judgmental   processes   and   effects;   that   is,   messages   produce  
A   theore(cal   perspec(ve   most   closely   associated  
a6tude  change  through  judgmental  processes  and  effects.  More  specifically,  the  claim  is  that  
with   Muzafer   Sherif,   Carolyn   Sherif,   and   their  
the   effect   of   a   persuasive   communica(on   depends   upon   the   way   in   which   the   receiver  
associates,  Carl  Hovland  and  Roger  Nebergall.  
evaluates  the  posi(on  it  advocates.  

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MORE THE
IDEAS PROCESS
We   use   our   exis(ng   categories   of   judgment   to   Incoming  message  
assess   messages   we   receive.   It   is   a   subconscious  
process  that  happens  at  the  instant  of  percep(on.  

THE THREE LATITUDES: Assess  Ego-­‐

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involvement  
LATITUDE OF
ACCEPTANCE La(tude  of   La(tude  of   La(tude  of  
Within  the  la(tude  of  acceptance  is  contained  all  the  posi(ons  on  a   Acceptance   Noncommitement   Rejec(on  
par(cular  topic  that  we  find  acceptable.  
Contrast  
Assimila(on   Effect  
ANC Effect  

HOR

6 LATITUDE OF
Within   this   la(tude   there   is   one   special   posi(on   called   the  
"anchor."  This  is  the  single  posi(on  that  a  person  finds  the  most  
acceptable  of  all.   NONCOMMITMENT
Ideas  for  which  you  have  no  opinion—you  neither  accept  nor  reject  these  ideas.  
 Things You Need to Know About:

Social Judgment Theory

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LATITUDE OF EGO
REJECTION INVOLVEMENT SJT says that the map of an
This   contains   the   posi(ons   on   an   This  contains  the  posi(ons  on  an  issue   individual’s attitudes about any
issue   that   we   reject   or   we   find   most   that   we   reject   or   we   find   most  
objec(onable.   objec(onable.   given topic is a function of how
When   an   individual   is   highly   ego-­‐ ego-involved that individual is

9 MAPPING involved,   he   or   she   believes   that   the  

issue   is   important,   and   the   person  
about the issue.
THE EGO usually  holds  an  intense  posi(on.  

Knowing  whether  a  person  is  ego-­‐involved  allows  the  persuader  to  make  certain  predic(ons  about  the  recipient  of  a  persuasive  message.  

La;tude  of  
La;tude  of  Acceptance   Noncommitment   La;tude  of  Rejec;on  

People   with   extreme   opinions   on   either   side   of   an   issue   almost   The   more   ego-­‐involved   a   The   more   ego-­‐involved   a   person   is,   the   larger   the   la(tude   of  
always   care   deeply.   While   it’s   possible   to   feel   passionate   about   person   is,   the   smaller   the   rejec(on   that   person   will   have.   This   predic(on   is   based   on   logic;   if  
middle-­‐of-­‐the-­‐road   posi(ons,   social   judgment   researchers   find   that   la(tude   of   noncommitment.   you   feel   strongly   about   a   topic,   you   are   likely   to   reject   anything  
massive  a6tude  anchors  are  usually  located  toward  the  ends  of  the   Again,  this  hypothesis  makes   that  doesn’t  match  your  point  of  view.  
scale.  Extreme  posi(ons  and  high  ego-­‐involvement  go  together.   sense.   If   you   believe   a   topic  
is   important,   you   are   likely  

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to   have   thought   about   it,  
CONTRAST/ leaving  liPle  room  for  having  

ASSIMILATION
no  opinion  or  no  knowledge.  
Persons   with   low   ego-­‐
We   use   our   own   anchored   a6tude   as   a   comparison   involvement  would  probably  
point   when   we   hear   a   discrepant   message.   There   is   a   see  more  gray  area.  
parallel  between  systema(c  biases  in  the  judgments  we      
make   in   the   physical   world   and   the   way   we   determine  
other  people’s  a6tudes  
 Things You Need to Know About:

Social Judgment Theory

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Messages   that   fall   within   the   audience’s   la(tude   of   acceptance   will   be   viewed   posi(vely,   and   messages   that   fall   within   the   audience’s  
la(tude   of   rejec(on   will   be   viewed   nega(vely.   Social   judgment   explains   these   responses   through   two   processes,   the   contrast   effect   and   the  
assimila;on  effect.  

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CONTRAST ASSIMILATION
EFFECT EFFECT
Occurs  when  a  message  is  perceived  as  further  away  from  
The  assimila(on  effect  is  just  the  opposite.  When  a  message  is  received  
that   person’s   anchor   than   it   really   is—the   receiver  
that   falls   within   the   individual’s   la(tude   of   acceptance,   the   receiver  
subconsciously   exaggerates   the   difference   between   the  
subconsciously  minimizes  the  difference  between  the  message’s  posi(on  
message’s   posi(on   and   his   or   her   own   posi(on.   This  
and  his  or  her  own  posi(on.  
response   happens   when   the   message   falls   within   an  
individual’s  la(tude  of  rejec(on.  

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SUCCESS ATTITUDE
RATE ADJUSTMENT
According   to   social   judgment   theory,   once   we’ve   judged   a   We  also  adjust  our  a6tudes  for  messages  we  perceive  to  be  in  our  la(tude  of  
new  message  to  be  within  our  la(tude  of  acceptance,  we   rejec(on,   but   in   this   case,   away   from   what   we   think   the   speaker   is  
will   adjust   our   a6tude   somewhat   to   accommodate   the   advoca(ng.    
new   input.   The   persuasive   effect   will   be   posi;ve   but  
par;al.  

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People   who   are   highly   ego-­‐involved   in   a   topic   have   a  
broad   range   of   rejec(on,   most   messages   aimed   to   BOOMERANG
persuade   them   are   in   danger   of   actually   driving   them  
further  away.   EFFECT
This   predicted   boomerang   effect   suggests   that   people  

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are   oUen   driven   rather   than   drawn   to   the   a6tude  
The  greater  the  discrepancy,  the  more  hearers  will  adjust  their  a6tudes.  Thus,  
posi(ons  they  occupy.  
the  message  that  persuades  the  most  is  the  one  that  is  most  discrepant  from  
the   listener’s   posi;on   yet   falls   within   his   or   her   la;tude   of   acceptance   or  
la;tude  of  noncommitment.  
 Things You Need to Know About:

Social Judgment Theory

19 PRACTICAL When trying to persuade people to shift their attitudes

ADVICE toward a certain issue:

Select   a   message   that   Another   strategy   is   to   use   True  conversion  from  one  end   It’s   also   a   social   process.   The   lack   of   an  
falls   at   the   edge   of   your   ambiguous   messages   to   produce   of   the   scale   to   the   other   is   a   interpersonal   bond   between   you   and   your  
t a r g e t ’ s   l a ; t u d e   o f   greater  shiGs  in  aHtude  as  it  may   rare   phenomenon.   The   only   target   limits   the   amount   of   influence   that’s  
acceptance.   Though   they   serve  bePer  than  clarity.  There  is  a   way   to   s(mulate   large-­‐scale   possible.   If   your   target   hears   the   message  
will   judge   your   message   risk   of   backfiring   though,   and   this   change   is   through   a   series   of   from  his  friends  and  family,  it  might  occasion  a  
to   be   discrepant   from   could   bring   your   message   farther   small,   successive   movements.   major   shiU.   Sherif   noted   that   “most   drama(c  
their   point   of   view,   they   away  from  your  target’s  la(tude  of   Persuasion   is   a   gradual   cases  of  a6tude  change,  the  most  widespread  
will   shiU   their   a6tude   acceptance.   process.   and   enduring,   are   those   involving   changes   in  
slightly  in  that  direc(on.   reference  groups  with  differing  values.”  

DESIGNED  BY  EARL  GUZMAN  WITH  A  PINCH  OF  CREATIVITY  AND  A  WHOLE  LOT  OF  ICONS  FROM  FLATICONS.   PUP  GS  –  MASTER  IN  COMMUNICATION