Which of the following statements is true regarding the use of threats instead of persuasion in social psychology?

• A. Threats and persuasion are equally effective in promoting voluntary cooperation.
• B. Threats are more effective than persuasion in creating lasting internal attitude change.
• C. Threats typically increase intrinsic motivation to perform a behavior.
• D. Threats may lead to compliance but often result in resentment and less long-term attitude change compared to persuasion.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between threats and persuasion in social psychology: Persuasion aims to change attitudes by appealing to reasoning or emotions, leading to voluntary and internalized behavior change, while threats rely on fear of negative consequences to enforce compliance.
2. Recognize that threats often produce compliance because individuals want to avoid punishment or negative outcomes, but this compliance is usually superficial and externally motivated rather than internally accepted.
3. Consider the concept of intrinsic motivation, which is the internal desire to perform a behavior for its own sake; threats tend to undermine intrinsic motivation because they impose external pressure rather than fostering genuine personal endorsement.
4. Analyze research findings that show persuasion is more effective than threats in creating lasting attitude change because it encourages individuals to internalize the reasons for the behavior, whereas threats may cause resentment or resistance over time.
5. Conclude that while threats can be effective in the short term for compliance, they are less effective than persuasion for long-term attitude change and voluntary cooperation.