Applications of Social Judgement By: Shannon Curtis
"Hello, Mrs. Smith. My name is Shannon Curtis. I am a student at Ohio University calling on behalf of the National Phonathon." You have just read a conversation that I engage in on a daily basis. Why? Well, I am currently employed at the Ohio University National Phonathon as a student caller. As a caller, my job consists of contacting thousands of alumni from Ohio University and soliciting them for donations. What does this have to do with Social Judgement? Well, according to Carolyn Sherif, Muzafer Sherif, and Roger Nebergall, we sort ideas the instant that we perceive them. Each bit of information that is presented to us, is ranked in order of importance by comparing it to our current point of view. Thus, Social Judgement is a key element each and every time that I speak with an alumni of Ohio University.For example, the three zones that Sherif believed Social Judgement consisted of (latitude of acceptance, latitude of rejection, and latitude of noncommitment) must be achknowleded in order to best decipher what will and will not convince an alumni to donate to this fine university.To better explain, if Mrs. Smith's had had a bad experience in the College of Education, her latitude of acceptance, in regard to giving to that particular college, would be narrow. I, as the caller, would need to increase her ego-involvement toward the College of Education. Ego-involvement, according to the text, refers to how crucial an issue is in our lives. To increase Mrs. Smith's interest, I may want to point out to her the current positive aspects of the College of Education. I may want to tell her that the Education Department is incorporating in classroom experience as early as a student's freshman year of college. I may also want to tell her about the new Plains Project, which is an intense program that has Education majors in an elementary classroom thirty hours a week. By telling Mrs. Smith about the improvements the College of Education has under gone, I would, in turn, be increasing her ego-involvement which would hopefully lead to her pledging a donation.If Mrs. Smith said, at one point in the conversation, that she was not involved in any extra-curricular activities while attending Ohio University, I would assume that her latitude of noncommitment in regards to giving to the OU Band or Greek life would be wide. Therefore, as a persuader, I would try to target the telephone call away from such activities in order to maintain a high level of ego-involvement. I may mention that she could designate her donation to any area of Ohio University that she felt a particular connection too. According to Social Judgement, Mrs. Smith would hopefully have a shift in attitude toward giving to Ohio University to acommodate for the new information given to her.
Conclusion
A good fund raiser, whether it be Ohio University or any like cause, would use the comments made by the solicitatee in order to decide what will and will not persuade a donation. A wise donater would use her or his personal social judgement in order to decide if they should or should not be persuaded into donating. Therefore, not only is Social Judgement applicable in my current place of employment, but also in most everyday fund raising.
To better understand what your individual latitudes are click here.
To view an on-line guide to fund-raising click here.
Check out another persuation process known as Elaboration Likelihood. This process is similar to Social Judgement Theory in that it involves predetermined beliefs, issue-related arguments, and acception or rejection of a message.
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