Dual‐Processing in Value Self‐Confrontation: The Role of Need for Cognition

Abstract

Rokeach (1973) developed the method of value self-confrontation (VSC) in an attempt to change people's behavior by changing the value hierarchy underlying that behavior. The present research examined the role of need for cognition, defined by Cacioppo, Petty, and Kao (1984) as an individual's tendency to engage in and enjoy effortjiul cognitive endeavors, in the VSC process. Two studies demonstrated that the VSC procedure was equally effective for collegeage participants, regardless of their level of need for cognition. The second study suggested that the equivalent value change was mediated by dixerential routes of processing, Specifically, low need for cognition participants reported a significantly greater reliance on normative information (indicative of peripheral processing) while participants high in the need for cognition reported significantly greater expenditure of cognitive effort (indicative of central route processing). Practical implications of these findings for individual and social applications of VSC and future research directions are discussed. Rokeach (1973) asserts that personal values serve as guiding principles of varying importance in one's life. A person's values are organized in a hierarchy from that value which is most important to that which is least important, thereby forming that person's value system. This value system determines subsequent attitudes that in turn influence specific behaviors. From this perspective, one alternative for changing behavior is to change the organization (that is, hierarchy) of the value system. Rokeach (1973) developed the method of value self-confrontation (VSC) in I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Julie Fox, Heather Graham, Denise Litchfield, Noel Schaus, Amy Smet, Steve Sund, and Jodi Tallman in research design and execution. I also acknowledge the helpful comments of the JSI reviewers on previous drafts of this manuscript.

Measuring the values that underlie sustainable development: The development of a valid scale

“…''Need for cognition refers to an individual's tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive endeavors" (Cacioppo et al, 1984,). While individuals high and low in need for cognition may use different ''routes" of information processing to translate values into attitudes and behaviors, research has shown that the values themselves are not related to their need for cognition (Waller, 1994). That is, individuals with a high need for cognition can have the same values as those scoring low on the need for cognition scale.…”

Work values system development during adolescence

“…Although much work has been done to determine whether or not and to what extent values are structured as a dynamic system (e.g., Schwartz & Bilsky, 1987), only a few published empirical studies have directly tested if and to what extent values function in the fashion of a dynamic system (Rokeach, 1973;Waller, 1994). These studies employed an experimental design and samples of college students to support the system-based proposition that a discrepancy between a preferred state (in this case values) and an actual state (other values or behaviors) prompts a change in either the preferred and/or actual state to decrease the discrepancy.…”

Core human values and their interactions with pro-Tobacco factors on cigarette smoking

“…The VSC has also been used in prevention research for tobacco cessation and weight control (Conroy, 1979;Schwartz & Inbar-Saban, 1988). The potential theories and cognitive processes of behavior change associated with VSC, such as the Belief System Theory and the Dual Processing Cognitive mechanism have also been examined (Grube et al, 1994;Waller, 1994). However, the long-term effect of the VSC method on tobacco cessation is unknown and this method has not been adapted by current tobacco control practitioners.…”