SEX AND AGE DIFFERENCES IN PERSUASIBILITY.

This article reports that studies in the United States have demonstrated age and sex differences in susceptibility to persuasive communications. Females have been found significantly more persuasible than males and, regardless of sex, older Ss less persuasible than younger ones. In a study on Ss from Rhodesia, Lebanon, Brazil, Hong Kong, Peru, and the United States, researchers found that with the exception of Lebanese 5s, all the persuasibility scores for females were higher than those for males, although significant male-female difference was observed in Ss from Hong Kong only. Mohsin Nationalization Scale was administered to all Ss before and after a persuasive communication which contained arguments for and against nationalization of industry, trade, business, and public services. The scale has two parallel forms A and B having 24 items in each. The difference in score on forms A and B was taken as a measure of persuasibility.