Political Radicalization as a Communication Process

Woelfel, Joseph; Woelfel, John C.; Gillham, James R.; McPhail, Thomas L.

doi:10.1177/009365027400100301

Cited by 17 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…As a second methodologic approach, our study used computer-assisted text analysis with neural network software (J. Woelfel, 1993) designed to distill major concepts from open-ended discussion such as focus groups (J. K. Woelfel, Danielson, & Woelfel, 1995).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deconstructing the monolith: Differences in attitudes about mammography among low-income African American women.

Petersen¹,

Hydeman²,

Murphy³

2009

Psychological Services

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The purpose of this study was to explore how health beliefs may vary within a minority group. In this mixed-method study, 63 low-income African American women engaged in six focus groups discussing beliefs that inhibited or facilitated mammography. Differences in cognitive complexity, self-efficacy, and attributions of causality occurred across neighborhoods despite the geographic proximity and demographic similarity. The attitude change that occurred during the discussion suggested ways to construct effective health interventions. The data suggest (a) that women were similarly knowledgeable about mammography and cancer, (b) knowledge did not correspond with attitudes, (c) attitudes must be addressed before knowledge can be utilized, (d) attitudes are developed and maintained within neighborhood social networks and that stories maintain these attitudes, (e) increasing the discussion among peers should lead to greater attitude change and discussion leads to increased thought, and (f) motivation and follow through are connected to women's roles within their communities.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deconstructing the monolith: Differences in attitudes about mammography among low-income African American women.

Petersen¹,

Hydeman²,

Murphy³

2009

Psychological Services

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show abstract

“…Thus, if an individual gave equal weight to hislher initial position and the advocated position, the resulting attitudinal position would be the average of the previous positions. Woelfel (Danes, Hunter, & Woelfel, 1978;Saltiel & Woelfel, 1975;Woelfel & Haller, 1971;Woelfel & Hernandez, 1972;Woelfel, Woelfel, Gillham, & McPhail, 1974) has modified information integration theory in proposing linear force aggregation theory,. which posits that attitudes are the arithmetic average of all the pertinent information received by the individual-or, in learning theory terms, all the information learned by the individual.…”

Section: Stochastic Mathematical and Cybernetic Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Theory Approaches to Persuasion

Burgoon

Miller

et al. 1981

Human Comm Res

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This review synthesizes relevant research dealing with the processes of learning and suggests its applications to compliance gaining. The two major issues addressed are: ( I ) to what degree can learning theories explain the acquisition of new attitudes and behaviors, and ( 2 ) to what degree are attitudinal and behavioral changes governed by learning theory principles? The learning theories discussed are grouped into three categories: stimulus-response or connectionist approaches; cognitive approaches; and stochastic, mathematical, and cybernetic approaches. The stimulus-response models, which encompass most of the research examined in this paper, are further broken down into four types: (1) classical conditioning, (2) contiguity models, (3) instrumental (or operant) conditioning and (4) models including drive and drive reduction. Principles and major research evidence from numerous learning theories are reviewed and analyzed, and suggestions are made as to how this evidence may aid in the construction of more complete theories of persuasion and attitude change.Traditionally, the efforts of learning and persuasion theorists have not been closely integrated, and with but few exceptions, research in each area has progressed with little systematic application of theoretical and empirical advances in the other. In the field of communication, this situation has been further exacerbated by the recent trend toward more complex, cognitive, and processual explanations of human behavior and the concomitant dismissal of learning theories as too simplistic and mechanistic. Such a dismissal, however, seems premature. There Judee K . Burgoon (Ed.D., West Virginia University, 1974) is associate professor of communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Michael Burgoon (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1970) is professor of communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. GeraldR. Miller (Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1961) is professor of communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Michael Sunnafronk (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1979) is assistant professor of rhetoric, University of California, Davis.are many insights into communication generally and persuasion specifically to be gained from learning theories and research. In many instances, persuasion researchers and learning researchers are studying similar phenomena under different labels and can therefore profit from the advances made in the other domain. Moreover, many of the predominant learning theories have significantly shaped the communication and persuasion research that has occurred during the last two decades and should be recognized for their implicit and explicit influences on our thinking. Even those who subscribe to systemic, constructivist, or nonbehavioristic approaches to compliance gaining will find among the learning theories relevant concepts, if not complete explanations of behavior. For these reasons, we have attempted in this manuscript to examine the interface betwee...

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“…Previous tests of force aggregation theory, most of which have linked rates of behavior to notions of defining and modeling, combined with certain other variables have been fairly successful. In applications to date, force aggregation theory has accounted consistently for one-half to three-quarters of the variance in such diverse phenomena as cigarette smoking (R2 = .66; Mettlin, 1973), occupational and educational aspirations (R2 = .64 and S 7 , respectively, Woelfel and Haller, 1971a), assisting French separatist candidates and attending separatist rallies (R2 = .S5 and .37, respectively; Woelfel et al, 1974), and marijuana use (R2 = .SO, Woelfel et al, 1972). The theory itself makes no explicit predictions about which role partners will be dominant in particular situations; this remains a substantive matter.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Expectations and Role Behavior of Socialization Agents: the Case of the School Counselor and SES Areas

Bersani

Gillham

Napady³

1977

The Sociological Quarterly

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The defining and, where appropriate, modeling of supervisors, co-workers, parents, teachers, and counselors were correlated with a particular counseling activity. School counselors (N = 81) reported these perceived influences and the amount of time they devoted to talking with youths about the ways to avoid past mistakes. Inlow socioeconomic (SES) areas, counselors and teachers showed the strongest relationship with this behavior; while in high SES groups, parents provided the dominant association.As Merton (1968:42) points out, almost every position has a role set, a "complement of social relationships in which people are involved simply because they occupy a particular status" (cf. Gross et al., 1958: chap. 3). Such relationships link one position with another so that the occupants of these positions form certain expectations for each other's behavior, thereby becoming role partners. But as a member of such a complex network, a person may face certain conflicts over what constitutes appropriate behavior (cf. Gross et al., 1958: chap. 17). Resolution of these conflicts often depends on the person's own situation. Under certain circumstances, a person may adhere closely to the expectations of one set of role partners. But under other conditions, this same person may follow the dictates of a competing set. The person's perceptions of the role partners' expectations add a further complicating dimension. Little research has been devoted to this complex issue of salient relationships between perceived expectations and behavior under varying conditions.This study pursues this question through a recent line of work called force aggregation theory, which uses role notions that may seem relatively narrow compared with those of more traditional theories. But force aggregation theory has the redeeming value of showing strong associations in a variety of contexts.After describing force aggregation theory, this paper sets forth three hypotheses involving three sets of role partners for school counselors: teachers, youths, and the parents of these youths. The hypotheses relate the expectations of these role partners, as perceived by the counselors, to a counselor role behavior: the amount of time devoted to talking with youths about avoiding past mistakes. The analyses divide the counselors into two groups, one serving schools in areas with high socioeconomic status (SES), the other serving schools in low SES areas.Reprints of this article may be obtained by writing Carl Bersani, Department of Sociology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325 *Irwin Deutscher and Lloyd B. Lueptow provided helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Socialization Agents 385Theory Force Aggregation Theory. As its name implies, force aggregation theory deals with the individual's total-or aggregate-interpersonal contacts (forces) that shape behavior along particular lines. These forces essentially consist of behavior-related information from various role partners. Force aggregation theory takes into account not merely whether this informa...

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Political Radicalization as a Communication Process

Cited by 17 publications

References 14 publications

Deconstructing the monolith: Differences in attitudes about mammography among low-income African American women.

Deconstructing the monolith: Differences in attitudes about mammography among low-income African American women.

Learning Theory Approaches to Persuasion

Perceived Expectations and Role Behavior of Socialization Agents: the Case of the School Counselor and SES Areas

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