ABSTRACT
The experiment report in this chapter discusses persuasion studies of V. B. Cervin and D. W. Carment in which they have examined the relationship of different levels of 'emotional responsiveness' and opinion strength to ascendant-submissive behaviour in two-person groups. In these investigations pairs of subjects were required to debate a topic on which they initially held opposed opinions with the purpose of arriving at a common statement of agreement, disagreement or compromise. The chapter discusses these investigations to include two other variables of importance in social interaction, intelligence and introversion-extraversion. In this experiment two measures of persuasiveness or dominance have been obtained. The tendency to speak first and to speak the greatest proportion of the time; and one of persuasibility, that is the tendency to change or not to change opinion when placed in a persuasion situation which requires arguing a topic with an individual who holds an opposing opinion.
