Social Judgment Theory proposes that people evaluate messages based on their existing attitudes. An individual's attitude has latitudes of acceptance, rejection, and non-commitment. When judging a message, one compares it to their anchor position within these latitudes. If a message falls within the latitude of acceptance, one may shift their anchor towards it; if in the latitude of rejection, one may perceive it as further than it is. The greater the discrepancy between the message and attitude, the more attitude change may occur, following a curvilinear relationship. Critics note it does not consider all persuasion factors and may not apply to clear messages.

1. COMM 2378Theories of Communication and PersuasionSocial Judgment TheoryLe Thanh Phuong s3298842Le Vu Thuy Linh s3274932

2. AGENDASocial Judgment TheoryCreationThe cognitive structure of a person’s attitudeJudgment ProcessCritics

3. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORY

4. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYCREATIONMuzafer Sherif & Carl HovlandThe National Academies Press n.d.The National Academies Press n.d.Carolyn SherifOklahoma State University n.d.

5. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYCREATIONThere were no absolute truths. Man is the measure of all things. (Schiappa 1991, cited in Benoit & Benoit 2008)Attitude change will be influenced by cognitive judgment processes in which a proposed position is compared with a person’s existing system of attitudes.(Sherif & Hovland 1961, cited in Miller 2005)

6. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYCOGNITIVE STRUCTURE OF ATTITUDEAttitude = single pointLatitudesLatitude = the distance of a place north or south of the equator, measured in degrees(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)

7. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYCOGNITIVE STRUCTURE OF ATTITUDELatitudesLatitude of AcceptanceThe range of message positions that are acceptable or plausible for an listenerLatitude of RejectionThe range of message positions that a listener actively rejectsLatitude of Non-commitmentThe range of message positions that a listener neither accepts or rejects

8. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYCOGNITIVE STRUCTURE OF ATTITUDEAnchorThe position that most closely represents a person’s point of viewIn the center of Latitude of Acceptance

9. Comparison point when we hear discrepant message

10. Cultural and social formationVideo example

11. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYCOGNITIVE STRUCTURE OF ATTITUDEEgo Involvement:The importance of an issue to a person’s lifeHigh ego-involvement narrow Latitude of Acceptance wide Latitude of Rejection extreme position of anchorLow ego-involvement wide Latitude of Acceptance high rate of attitude change

12. 12manage n.d.

13. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYJUDGMENT PROCESS1. Judgment PhaseComparing the message to our anchorLocating the message into the latitude zones

14. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYJUDGMENT PROCESS*Perceptual distortion errorsContrast:A perceptual error whereby people judge messages that fall within their latitudes of rejection as even further from their anchor than they really are Assimilation:A perceptual error whereby people judge messages that fall within their latitudes of acceptance as even nearer from their anchor than they really are

15. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYJUDGMENT PROCESS2. Responding phaseShifting our anchor Latitude of Acceptance shifting along with it Latitude of Rejection and Non-commitment shifting along with itHow much movement?

16. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYJUDGMENT PROCESSDiscrepancy = the difference between the position of a message and the listener’s attitudeThe greater the discrepancy, the more listeners will adjust their attitudes.(Griffin 2008)The relationship between discrepancy and attitude change is curvilinear.

17. SOCIAL JUDMENT THEORYJUDGMENT PROCESSTo change a person’s attitudeDisagree ENOUGH to change the audience’s attitude, without going so far that you offend themAvoid boomerang effect: Attitude change in the opposite direction of what the message advocatedKeep in mind!Persuasion process is: Gradual: The only way to get large-scale change is through a series of small, successive movementsSocial: Influence from friends and family

18. SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYAPPLICATIONVietnam’s Government decides to run an anti-smoking campaign to change smokers’ attitude. You are hired to create a commercial for the campaign Your task:Draft the idea using Social Judgment Theory.Video example 1Video example 2

19. SOCIAL JUDMENT THEORYCRITICSStrengths:SJT helps explain why two different people may perceive a single message differently.SJT notices the curvilinear relationship between discrepancy and persuasion.SJT includes involvement as an important factor in persuasion.

20. SOCIAL JUDMENT THEORYCRITICSWeaknessesAssimilation/Contrast is not likely to happen with clear message.Eg: “No texting in class under any circumstances” would be difficult to misinterpretSJT ignores other factors that can affect persuasion.The message content & variablesSource credibility