| Most people (perhaps you too) believe they have | | | | the control group, and these students were told to just |
| rational opinions. You may change your mind once you | | | | keep their heads still. |
| read about some of the research that has been done. | | | | After the test, the students were questioned. They |
| Most of us think that we have rational opinions about | | | | were asked about the quality of the songs, and how |
| the things we take a stand on. We like to think that it is | | | | well the headphones functioned. At the end of the |
| just evidence and logic that rules us. We feel that we | | | | other questions, the experimenters slipped in the |
| are immune to the persuasion techniques of politicians | | | | question that they really wanted the answer to: "What |
| and others. | | | | do you feel would be an appropriate dollar amount for |
| The truth is that most of our opinions are created from | | | | undergraduate tuition per year." |
| a variety of unidentified forces. We then defend them | | | | Those whose heads were kept still were not affected |
| after the fact, with "reasoning," which is really just | | | | by the editorial. The average tuition that they thought |
| rationalization. The following example shows how | | | | was appropriate was $582. Notice that this was within |
| unaware we are of the influences that shape our | | | | $5 of where the tuition already was. |
| "thinking." | | | | Now it gets interesting. Those who shook their heads |
| A Look At "Rational Opinions" | | | | from side to side were found to strongly disagree with |
| Gary Wells and Richard E. Petty coauthored a little | | | | the tuition hike. In fact, their average "appropriate" tuition |
| known paper in the journal "Basic And Applied Social | | | | was $467 per year. That's almost 20% lower than the |
| Psychology" back in 1980. It was titled "The Effects Of | | | | first group. Even though they thought they were simply |
| Overt Head Movement On Persuasion," and it | | | | testing the headphones, the process of shaking their |
| reported on a study done with a large group of | | | | heads from side to side - as though saying "no" - |
| university students. | | | | affected their opinion dramatically. |
| The students were told they were participating in a | | | | What about those who were nodding their heads up |
| study to test the quality of headphones for an | | | | and down, as though saying "yes?" They were very |
| electronics manufacturer. Specifically, the company | | | | persuaded by the editorial. Even though it would cost |
| wanted (they were told) to test how well the | | | | them personally, they thought, on average, that the |
| headphones worked when the body was in motion. All | | | | tuition should be raised to $646. |
| of the students who participated listened to the same | | | | If the simple act of moving one's head up and down or |
| set of songs, followed by a radio editorial which | | | | from side to side can be so influential in the opinions |
| argued that the basic tuition at the college should be | | | | we have, what else is affecting our thinking? Many |
| raised from $587 to $750. | | | | things - all good subjects for future research. But even |
| The students were in three groups. The first was told | | | | from this simple example, you can start to see that |
| to keep nodding their heads up and down during the | | | | completely rational opinions may be less of a reality |
| entire time of the test. The second was instructed to | | | | and more of a myth. |
| shake their heads back and forth. The third group was | | | | |