What happens in the Sleeper Effect regarding persuasive communication?

What happens in the Sleeper Effect regarding persuasive communication?

• A. The persuasive impact of a low-credibility source increases over time
• B. High-credibility sources remain effective indefinitely
• C. Low-credibility sources become less persuasive as time goes on
• D. Credibility does not affect persuasion over time

Answer: (A)

In the context of the Sleeper Effect in persuasive communication, the phenomenon describes how messages from low-credibility sources can become more persuasive over time, despite their initial lack of believability. This occurs because individuals may initially reject the message due to the source's low credibility, but as time passes, the connection between the source and the message may weaken, leading to a greater acceptance of the content itself. Essentially, people may forget or overlook the context of where they received the information, becoming more influenced by the message rather than the source. This aligns with the Sleeper Effect, as the message may "sleeper" into the person's acceptance once the source's credibility is sidelined or forgotten. Other options do not accurately capture this dynamic: high-credibility sources do tend to maintain their effectiveness, and low-credibility sources typically do not enhance their persuasiveness over time. The assertion that credibility does not impact persuasion over time also misrepresents the established understanding of how source credibility interacts with message retention and acceptance.

In the context of the Sleeper Effect in persuasive communication, the phenomenon describes how messages from low-credibility sources can become more persuasive over time, despite their initial lack of believability. This occurs because individuals may initially reject the message due to the source's low credibility, but as time passes, the connection between the source and the message may weaken, leading to a greater acceptance of the content itself. Essentially, people may forget or overlook the context of where they received the information, becoming more influenced by the message rather than the source.

This aligns with the Sleeper Effect, as the message may "sleeper" into the person's acceptance once the source's credibility is sidelined or forgotten. Other options do not accurately capture this dynamic: high-credibility sources do tend to maintain their effectiveness, and low-credibility sources typically do not enhance their persuasiveness over time. The assertion that credibility does not impact persuasion over time also misrepresents the established understanding of how source credibility interacts with message retention and acceptance.