The sleeper effect is a concept in which field?

• A. Biology
• B. Economics
• C. Anthropology
• D. Social psychology

Answer: (D)

This item tests understanding of where the sleeper effect belongs, which is social psychology. The sleeper effect is a delayed increase in the persuasiveness of a message after its source becomes less credible. Initially, a message from a low-credibility source may seem weak, but over time people may retain the message while forgetting who delivered it. As the source attribution fades, the impact of the message itself persists, leading to attitude change that surfaces after a delay. This phenomenon highlights how memory dynamics and attribution can influence persuasion beyond the immediate impression of credibility. It’s a classic concept in social psychology, not typically described in biology, economics, or anthropology.