Identify a true statement about the attitudes-follow-behavior phenomenon.
A. The more one harms another and adjusts one's attitudes, the harder it becomes to do harm.
B. Attitudes follow behavior in peacetime but not in wartime.
C. People are quicker to tell bad news than good.
D. People often adapt what they say to please their listeners.
Answer (2)
The attitudes-follow-behavior phenomenon explains how people's attitudes can change in response to their actions to reduce cognitive dissonance. Among the given options, D accurately reflects this concept, as people often modify their speech to align with their social context. Therefore, the best answer is D: People often adapt what they say to please their listeners.
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The question is about the 'attitudes-follow-behavior' phenomenon, which is an idea from social psychology suggesting that what people do affects their attitudes, beliefs, and emotions.
Let's look at the options provided:
Option A: This statement suggests that the more one harms another and then adjusts one's attitudes, the harder it becomes to do harm. While harming someone and rationalizing or adjusting attitudes might temporarily ease cognitive dissonance, there's no clear evidence that makes subsequent harm harder. This makes this option less likely to be true if taken literally.
Option B: Attitudes following behavior can occur in both peacetime and wartime, though the conditions and justifications might differ.
Option C: This statement is unrelated to the attitudes-follow-behavior phenomenon, focusing instead on the transmission of news.
Option D: States that people often adapt what they say to please their listeners. This aligns with the attitudes-follow-behavior phenomenon. When people adjust their behavior to fit a social context, their attitudes often shift to align with their words and actions, demonstrating that behavior can influence attitudes.
Thus, the true statement about the attitudes-follow-behavior phenomenon is Option D: People often adapt what they say to please their listeners, as this behavior can lead to an adjustment of attitudes to align with those behaviors.
