Chapter 36 Quiz: Ethical Persuasion and Responsible Communication

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following best describes the difference between the "accuracy" criterion and the "completeness" criterion for ethical persuasion, as defined in Section 36.1?

a) Accuracy applies to statistics; completeness applies to narrative claims b) Accuracy requires that all stated claims be true; completeness requires that no material information be strategically omitted c) Accuracy is required by law; completeness is an aspirational standard only d) Accuracy applies to the source; completeness applies to the message content

2. According to Kim Witte's Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), a fear appeal is most likely to produce defensive responses (denial, avoidance) rather than protective responses when:

a) Perceived threat is high and perceived efficacy is high b) Perceived threat is low and perceived efficacy is low c) Perceived threat is high and perceived efficacy is low d) Perceived threat is low and perceived efficacy is high

3. The "truth sandwich" communication strategy — associated with George Lakoff and practiced by First Draft during the 2017 French election — is designed to address which of the following research findings?

a) Emotional information is more persuasive than factual information b) Repeating a false claim in order to correct it increases familiarity with the false claim c) Audiences distrust corrections from institutional sources d) False information spreads faster when it comes from anonymous sources

4. Green and Brock's (2000) "narrative transportation" research found that audiences absorbed in a narrative show which of the following?

a) Greater sensitivity to statistical evidence embedded in the story b) Reduced counter-arguing and greater acceptance of story-world propositions c) Increased critical thinking about the story's factual claims d) Greater ability to detect false claims in the narrative

5. The "view from nowhere" — Jay Rosen's critique of journalistic objectivity — argues that neutral both-sides framing:

a) Is the only defensible approach to political journalism b) Systematically advantages established power by treating unequal positions as equivalent c) Is ethically preferable to transparent advocacy journalism d) Has been proven ineffective but remains institutionally entrenched

6. In Section 36.7, the Keep America Beautiful campaign is cited as ethically problematic primarily because:

a) Its factual claims about littering were false b) The emotional register of its appeals was disproportionate to the actual problem c) It was funded by beverage and packaging companies seeking to redirect attention from corporate waste practices, but this was not disclosed to its audience d) It used narrative techniques that produced defensive responses

7. The Farrelly et al. (2017) study found that the FDA's "The Real Cost" anti-tobacco campaign was associated with approximately how many adolescents not becoming smokers between 2014 and 2016?

a) 87,000 b) 250,000 c) 587,000 d) 1.2 million

8. According to the research on ethics education discussed in Section 36.9, which type of intervention is most likely to produce durable ethical behavior in professional practice?

a) Rule-based education focused on memorizing ethics codes b) Legal training emphasizing the consequences of ethics violations c) Character-based education focused on moral sensitivity, reasoning, and motivation d) Case-based training focused exclusively on identification of ethical violations by others

9. The Roozenbeek et al. (2022) prebunking study, conducted in partnership with YouTube, found that short prebunking videos:

a) Improved the ability to identify specific false claims about specific political topics b) Were effective only among politically engaged participants c) Improved the ability to identify manipulation techniques that transferred across topics d) Reduced sharing of misinformation by 35% in the measured period

10. The PRSA's "honest advocacy" standard allows public relations professionals to advocate for clients while maintaining ethical standards when:

a) The client's interests and the audience's interests are fully aligned b) The source is transparent, the intent is disclosed, and factual claims are accurate c) The advocacy is in service of a socially beneficial goal d) The communication is labeled as public relations rather than journalism

11. Which of the following best describes the "completeness" criterion's concept of "material information"?

a) Information that has been published in peer-reviewed research b) Information that a reasonable audience member would want to know before making the decision the communication is designed to influence c) Information that is mentioned in the communicating organization's public disclosures d) Information that is legally required to be disclosed in commercial communications

12. In the debate between Position A and Position B on ethical persuasion at scale, Position A argues that structural reforms are necessary primarily because:

a) Ethical communicators lack the skills to design effective messages b) Platform algorithms optimize for engagement metrics that systematically reward emotionally arousing content over accurate content c) Audiences are not motivated to seek accurate information d) Ethical communication is inherently less persuasive than unethical communication regardless of design quality

13. The SPJ Code of Ethics differs from the IFCN Code of Principles primarily in that:

a) The SPJ Code applies to journalism while the IFCN Code applies to public relations b) The SPJ Code has formal enforcement mechanisms while the IFCN Code does not c) The IFCN Code has a signatory review process that can revoke membership, while the SPJ Code has no equivalent enforcement mechanism d) The SPJ Code emphasizes accuracy while the IFCN Code emphasizes independence

14. The chapter cites Sophia's description of her father's journalism as focused on "the institution of reliable truth-telling." This concept is best understood as:

a) The accumulated body of verified facts that journalism has established b) The practice of maintaining consistent honesty over time such that audiences know where to find reliable information when they need it c) The set of professional standards that distinguish journalism from propaganda d) The formal institutional structures (editorial boards, ombudspeople) that enforce journalistic standards

15. According to Section 36.9's discussion of moral motivation, what factor most distinguishes individuals who act ethically under professional pressure from those who do not?

a) Knowledge of formal ethics codes b) Educational background in communication ethics c) Professional identity — a strong sense of oneself as an ethical communicator d) Experience with the consequences of ethical violations

Short Answer

16. A public health agency is designing a campaign to increase vaccination rates among parents who are vaccine-hesitant. The agency's communications team proposes two approaches:

Approach A: A factual campaign presenting peer-reviewed statistics about vaccine safety and efficacy, with citations to original research and acknowledgment of the small percentage of cases where adverse effects occur.

Approach B: A narrative campaign featuring parents who lost children to vaccine-preventable diseases, paired with accurate information about vaccination rates needed for herd immunity and specific information about where to get vaccinated.

Apply the five ethical persuasion criteria to both approaches. Which, if either, better meets the criteria? Are there ways in which each approach falls short? How would you revise either approach to best meet all five criteria simultaneously? (250–350 words)

17. A nonprofit organization advocating for criminal justice reform is developing a social media campaign. A staff member proposes targeting the campaign's most emotionally intense messages — stories of wrongful conviction — specifically to users whose social media behavior indicates they are likely to share content impulsively, based on behavioral data purchased from a data broker.

Using the ethical framework from this chapter, analyze the ethical problems with this targeting strategy. Does the fact that the organization's cause is genuinely just affect your analysis? Should it? (200–300 words)

18. Section 36.4 discusses four institutional models of ethical communication: BBC, SVT, First Draft's CrossCheck coalition, and AP newsroom standards. All four share common ethical commitments but implement them differently.

Identify two specific structural features — one from any of these institutions — that you believe are most important for making ethical commitments durable rather than merely aspirational. For each feature, explain: What problem does it solve? What are its limits? Could it be adopted by other types of communication organizations (not just journalism)? (200–300 words)

Essay

19. Webb opens Chapter 36 with a personal disclosure about his time in political communications and his reasons for leaving. This is a pedagogical choice — a professor choosing to share professional regret with students as part of ethics education.

Drawing on the discussion of moral motivation and character-based ethics education in Section 36.9, analyze what this pedagogical choice is designed to accomplish. Is it likely to achieve what it is designed to achieve? What assumptions about ethics education does it embody? Are those assumptions well-supported by the research the section cites?

Your essay should engage directly with the distinction between rule-based and character-based ethics education, with the concept of moral motivation as distinct from moral knowledge, and with the question of whether sharing professional experience can build the kind of ethical commitment that formal instruction often fails to produce. (500–700 words)

20. Tariq's question — "Is it possible to be effective and ethical? Or do you always have to choose?" — is described in the chapter introduction as the central practical question in communication ethics. The chapter does not answer it with a simple yes or no.

Drawing on the full argument of Chapter 36 — including the five criteria, the fear appeals analysis, the institutional case studies, the effectiveness research, and the debate framework — construct your own answer to Tariq's question. Your answer should:

• Engage honestly with the evidence for both positions
• Acknowledge the specific conditions under which ethical persuasion is more or less effective
• Address the long-term vs. short-term effectiveness distinction
• Arrive at a position that is defensible given the evidence

Do not simply summarize the chapter. Take a position and defend it. (600–800 words)

Applied Analysis

21. Find a real example of a native advertising piece (sponsored content) on a major digital news publication. Print or save the page.

a) Does the publication's disclosure meet the formal FTC requirement? Does it meet what you would consider the ethical requirement of genuine transparency?

b) Apply the intent transparency criterion to the disclosure. Is the disclosure positioned and designed so that a typical reader will notice it before engaging with the content?

c) Is there a gap between the formal disclosure (which is likely present) and genuine transparency (which requires that the disclosure actually change how the audience processes the content)? How large is that gap?

d) Propose a revised disclosure format for this specific piece that would better meet the intent transparency criterion. Be specific — write the exact disclosure language and explain where it would be placed.

Chapter 36 Quiz — 21 questions. Instructors: Suggested point allocation: Multiple Choice (1 point each, 15 points total), Short Answer (10 points each, 30 points total), Essays (25 points each, 50 points total), Applied Analysis (25 points). Total: 120 points.