Pop Culture Connections
11th Edition
Some of the suggested connections come from references in the Instructors Manual, others have been added to the website (only chapters with suggested connectons are shown below).
NOTE: Pop Culture Connections is new with Edition 11, replacing Suggested Movie Clips and Links from previous editions. If you change to Edition 9 or 10 you will be directed to the Movie Clips page.
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Chapter 14—Social Judgment Theory
Claim:
The most effective persuasive messages target the edge of the latitude of acceptance.
Application:
The Blind Side tells the true story of Michael Oher, a Black football player adopted by a wealthy white family. In this scene, an NCAA investigator probes why he wants to play football for the University of Mississippi, which is his adoptive parents' alma mater. It is clear that the meeting is less of an investigation and more of an interrogation, as the investigator wants to get Michael to admit wrongdoing by his adoptive parents. Her arguments begin by introducing claims that fall within Michael's latitude of acceptance, and from there she hones in on the edge of that latitude of acceptance. This nudges Michael's anchor point away from trust in his adoptive parents, leading him to forcefully question his adoptive mother about her motives.
Cue Point:
NCAA investigator interviews Michael Oher
Discovered By:
PJ (Andrew's student)
Title:
Dance Moms, S6, E14, "JoJo Steals the Show Show"
Claim:
Messages that fall in the latitude of rejection may generate a boomerang effect, where attitude change occurs in the opposite direction of what the message advocates.
Application:
Kendall wants to perform a duet dance with Maddie, but Maddie isn't at the dance studio right now--indeed, rumors are swirling that Maddie might be leaving the dance team. In practice, JoJo substitutes for Maddie in the duet, but dance studio director Abby Lee Miller isn't happy with the performance as a duet and would rather have one dancer perform it as a solo. This idea falls in Kendall's latitude of rejection, and she leaves the room, crying in anger. While she's gone, JoJo performs the dance as a solo, and this pleases Abby. But, Kendall doesn't like this idea and would rather perform a duet with JoJo--but Abby's animated response reveals this option is no longer acceptable to her. Following social judgment theory, how would you arrange the following options on a continuum: (a) Kendall/Maddie duet, (b) Kendall solo, (c) JoJo solo, (d) Kendall/JoJo duet? Would Kendall's continuum differ from Abby's, or from JoJo's? Do you see evidence of a boomerang effect happening in this clip that drives people farther apart?
Title:
Captain America: Civil War
Claim:
An attitude is a combination of three zones: the latitude of acceptance, latitude of rejection, and latitude of noncommitment
Application:
As superheroes become more prominent, the world is concerned about this misuse of their powers. Here, the Avengers debate the Sokovia Accords, an agreement that places superheroes under United Nations supervision. For whom does this idea fall in their latitude of acceptance? And for whom does it fall in their latitude of rejection? Can you explain why the idea might fall in Vision or Wanda's latitude of noncommitment?
Claim:
Messages that fall in the latitude of rejection may generate a boomerang effect, where attitude change occurs in the opposite direction of what the message advocates.
Application:
President Lincoln meets in a cellar at night with Representative Thaddeus Stevens. Although both oppose slavery, they disagree on how to pursue that goal. In the language of the theory, Lincoln expresses concern that Stevens' appeal will fall in the latitude of rejection of some representatives, generating a boomerang effect that will drive them away from the aim of ending slavery. He cautions Stevens that persuasion will take time, an idea that resonates with social judgment theory.
Title:
Saturday Night Live, "The Undecided Voters"
Claim:
Ego-involvement is the importance or centrality of an issue to a person's life. Those with low ego involvement will tend to have a wide latitude of acceptance.
Application:
Traditional political wisdom in the United States is that a certain segment will always vote for the Democrat, another segment for the Republican, and thus the undecided voters are the key to winning the election. The comedy show Saturday Night Live pokes fun at the lack of ego involvement that may characterize some undecided voters.
Title:
"Why Dems are Meddling in Colorado GOP Primaries to Boost More Extreme Candidates", Next 9NEWS
Claim:
The boomerang effect suggests that people are often driven rather than drawn to the attitude positions they occupy.
Application:
Why would Democrats donate money to Republican candidates? This video explains why--it's because Democrats want more extreme Republican candidates to win in their primary elections, thinking that those Republicans will be easier to beat in the general election. Explain why this is so using the ideas of social judgment theory, including the latitude of acceptance, latitude of rejection, and the boomerang effect. One people expresses discomfort with this strategy. What might Kant say about that?
Title:
"TAYLOR SWIFT VMA AWARD MOMENT RUINED BY KANYE WEST," Artisan News Service
Claim:
The latitude of rejection is the range of ideas that a person sees as unreasonable or objectionable.
Application:
Clearly, Beyoncé fell in Kanye’s latitude of acceptance for the award, and Taylor fell in his latitude of rejection—which is right where Kanye’s rude behavior landed for most viewers.
You can access the Essay Questions for a particular chapter in several ways:
- Switch to View by Theory, then select the desired theory/chapter from the drop-down list at the top of the page. Look in the list of available resources.
- To quickly find a theory by chapter number, use the Table of Contents and link from there. It will take you directly to the theory with available options highlighted.
- You can also use the Theory List, which will take you directly to the theory with available options highlighted.
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