Additive Effects of Utility and Attitudinal Supportiveness in the Selection of Information

Hillis, Jay W.; Crano, William D.

doi:10.1080/00224545.1973.9922599

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, the congenial and uncongenial information would be equally useful for preparing to select among gifts (Jonas, Schulz-Hardt, & Frey, 2005). However, uncongenial information would be more useful for preparing to debate (e.g., Canon, 1964) or to write an uncongenial essay (Hillis & Crano, 1973). Congenial information would be more useful for planning to discuss one’s opinion (Canon, 1964; Smith, Fabrigar, Powell, & Estrada, 2007) or to defend one’s attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors (Frey, 1981b; Lundgren, & Prislin, 1998).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeling validated versus being correct: A meta-analysis of selective exposure to information.

Hart

Albarracín

Eagly

et al. 2009

Psychological Bulletin

978

814

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A meta-analysis assessed whether exposure to information is guided by defense or accuracy motives. The studies examined information preferences in relation to attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in situations that provided choices between congenial information, which supported participants' pre-existing attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors, and uncongenial information, which challenged these tendencies. Analyses indicated a moderate preference for congenial over uncongenial information (d. = 0.36). As predicted, this congeniality bias was moderated by variables that affect the strength of participants' defense motivation and accuracy motivation. In support of the importance of defense motivation, the congeniality bias was weaker when participants' attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors were supported prior to information selection, when participants' attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors were not relevant to their values or not held with conviction, when the available information was low in quality, when participants' closed-mindedness was low, and when their confidence in the attitude, belief, or behavior was high. In support of the importance of accuracy motivation, an uncongeniality bias emerged when uncongenial information was relevant to accomplishing a current goal.

show abstract