In social psychology, what is most likely to occur if an audience perceives that the speaker lacks credibility?

• A. The audience will pay more attention to the speaker's arguments.
• B. The audience will perceive the speaker as more trustworthy.
• C. The audience will be less persuaded by the speaker's message.
• D. The audience will automatically agree with the speaker's position.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of speaker credibility in social psychology, which refers to how believable or trustworthy an audience perceives a speaker to be.
2. Recognize that credibility affects persuasion: a speaker perceived as credible is more likely to influence the audience's attitudes or behaviors.
3. Consider what happens when the audience perceives low credibility: they tend to doubt the speaker's message and are less likely to be persuaded.
4. Eliminate options that contradict this understanding, such as the audience paying more attention or automatically agreeing, which are unlikely if credibility is low.
5. Conclude that the most likely outcome is that the audience will be less persuaded by the speaker's message when the speaker lacks credibility.