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multiple roles in persuasion

a postulate in the elaboration-likelihood model holding that variables can influence persuasion in one or more of five possible roles. When elaboration is likely to be low, a variable can influence persuasion by possibly serving as a peripheral cue. When situational and dispositional factors do not cause elaboration to be extremely high or low, a variable can influence persuasion by determining the amount of elaboration. When elaboration is likely to be high, a variable can serve as an argument if it is directly relevant to evaluating the attitude object, as a biasing factor in elaboration, or as a self-validation factor in elaboration.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

best fit

best fit

the theoretical pattern that best accounts for the relationships among variables in a data set. For example, a regression equation having the best fit to sample data is the one that minimizes differences between observed and predicted values. On a scatterplot, a line of best fit provides a visual depiction of this pattern, allowing extrapolation to values not part of the original data set. It is important to note that the best-fitting pattern is not necessarily the one that generated the observed data, as other patterns not considered may provide a superior fit.