Practice question · Multiple choice
People given a weak version of a counter-argument, then shown how to refute it, later resist the strong version better than people who heard only supporting material. Why?
Hints
- The name is inoculation. Ask what a vaccine does and why the dose is small.
- An attitude never challenged is untested. What happens the first time it is?
Show the answer
A. Because attitudes are strengthened by practising a defence
Why
A small dose provokes the defence without overwhelming it, the same logic as immunisation, and McGuire named it deliberately. It is why pre-bunking outperforms debunking: showing someone the manipulation technique in a mild form beforehand beats correcting them after they have accepted the strong version.
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