Final answer:
Katie is likely to become more liberal due to social influence at her very liberal college. This is part of the broader process of political socialization, where social groups significantly impact our political ideologies and views. The correct option is a) Social influence
Step-by-step explanation:
Katie, who is moderately liberal and attends a very liberal college, is likely to become more liberal as a result of social influence.
This concept is a part of political socialization, where individuals develop their political ideology based on various influences throughout their lives, such as family, school, community, peers, and life events.
College environments, like the one Katie is attending, provide a strong social context that can enhance or shape students' political views.
This is because individuals tend to adapt to those around them, often adopting similar ideologies and beliefs to fit in with their social groups. Moreover, as people grow older, the opinions they form will reflect their association with these groups, which is why such environments can significantly affect political stances because of the socialization process.
In contrast, options like cognitive dissonance, operant conditioning, and genetic predisposition are less relevant to this scenario.
Although genetic links to political predispositions exist, they do not directly cause changes in political beliefs due to college attendance.
Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort experienced when holding contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes, prompting a change to reduce the dissonance. Operant conditioning involves learning through rewards and punishments, which is not the primary factor at play here. The correct option is a) Social influence