I believe this theory is very understandable and tends to the side of a scientific approach.We perceive a message, categorize it in our minds and decide where it falls on the scale of acceptance. One can easily test this theory. For example, say you are having a conversation with a friend. While casually talking you could interject a controversial word or statement and gauge the reaction of that person. I know that I personally use this theory numerous times a day. When I hear a specific word or see a person I know, I automatically have a thought in my head. One disagreement I do have with this theory is that people weigh out every idea they hear. We all know at one time or another we have tuned out or ignored what people say to us. I think that we only gauge those thoughts that catch our attention. Social Judgement explains and makes sense out of the messages we decode. It explains the process that occurs when we perceive a message. We place the message on an attitude scale in our minds. Take for example the riots on Court Street in Up-town Athens. The bars close an hour early due to the time changes, but this event ranks highly on the students latitude of rejection. Students find this objectionable and protest by rioting.
Social Judgement Theory tends to be an influence theory. People try and influence others attitudes and beliefs through persuasion. Persuasion is a social process. The greater the interpersonal bond between individuals, the greater the chance that the influence will work. Again take the Court Street riots example. When a student hears their friends discussing plans to be up-town during the riots, they may be persuaded to join them and see what all the fuss is about. There are always the individuals with high ego-involvement, who try and get everyone all riled up about their cause. A student at one of the bars may feel strongly about the closing of the bars one hour early, and make sure that everyone around knows his dissatisfaction. Others may feed off this impulsive behavior of the individual, creating a follow the leader type affect.
A situation where Social Judgement Theory falls short would be a parent/child relationship. Say for instance, that a parent catches his or her child smoking. They abruptly yell at the child and ground them for a week. This would fall deep within the child's latitude of rejection creating a backlash. The child would simply resent the parents and not understand the reason for the punishment. The parent was more concerned with presenting the message than with the other person's point of view (Griffin 203).
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To view a critique of The Agenda Setting Theory of McCombs & Shaw click here. This theory coincides with Social Judgement Theory because it discusses how a person percieves a message and if they accept, reject, or have no commitment to that message. We do this in a way with what the media project, when we decide what is of relavence to us.
Griffin, Em. A First Look At Communication Theory: New York: McGraw-Hill 1997
