social judgment theory

a theory of attitude change postulating that the magnitude of persuasion produced by a particular message depends on how much the position advocated in the message differs from a person’s attitude. Persuasion is likely to be greatest when a message advocates a position that a person finds neither clearly acceptable nor clearly objectionable. See also latitude of acceptance; latitude of noncommitment; latitude of rejection. [attributed to U.S. psychologists Carolyn Wood Sherif (1922–1982), Muzafer Sherif, and Carl I. Hovland]

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Psychology term of the day

February 25th 2025

essential tremor

trembling of the hands, head, or voice that appears to be hereditary. It is the most common type of movement disorder and is thought to be a benign condition, although its etiology and neurological substrates remain unclear. Also called familial tremor.