Predicting attitude stability.

Abstract

Although variables related to attitude change have been heavily studied, there has been surprisingly little emphasis on variables related to attitude stability.In the present study we examined whether or not measures of attitude extremity, latency of agreement responses, and issue importance could be used to predict attitude stability. In a computerized testing procedure that made it possible to record response latencies, undergraduates (N = 50) indicated the extent of their agreement with 40 controversial statements as well as the importance they attached to each issue. Retest data on the same variables were obtained two to three weeks later. The results indicated that all three predictor variables were inter-related but each contributed independent information in predicting attitude stability. We discuss the theoretical aspects of the results in terms of Fazio's (1986Fazio's ( , 1989Fazio's ( , 1990) notion of attitude accessibility. From a practical perspective, we stress the importance of gathering stability-related information whenever it is feasible to do so. ResumeOn a beaucoup etudte les variables liees au changement d'attirude, mais il est etonnant de constater le peu d'importance qu'on semble accorder a la stabilite de l'attitude. Dans la presente £tude, nous avons tent6 de determiner si les mesures de rextremisme dans l'attitude, de la latence des reponses positives et de l'importance de la question controversee permettent de predire la stabilite de l'attitude. Lors de tests sur ordinateur qui permettaient d'enregistrer les latences de la reponse, des etudiants de premier cycle (N = 50) ont indique dans quelle mesure ils elaient d'accord avec 40 enonces sur des questions controversies ainsi que l'importance qu'ils attachaient & chaque question. De deux a trois semaines plus tard, des retests ont 6t6 effectues au moyen des memes variables. Les r£sultats obtenus indiquent que les trois variables pr£dicteurs sont interrelies, mais que chacune apporte de 1'information distincte pour ce qui est de prevoir la stabilite de l'attitude. Nous examinons les aspects theoriques des resultats en fonction de la notion d'accroissement de l'attitude de Fazio (1986, 1989, 1990). D'un point de vue pratique, nous faisons ressortir l'importance de recueillir de l'information liee a la stabilite lorsqu'il est possible de le faire.

Evaluating Psychometric Differences Between Fast Versus Slow Responses on Rating Scale Items

“…As to the variance of item responses, the variance of fast responses relative to that of slow responses was generally larger for items with overall mean scores near the center of the scale (implying that fast responses may tend to be in the two extreme ends) but reduced as the mean score either increased or decreased. These results are consistent with the tendency for faster responses to more likely be extreme responses than slower responses, a result also consistent with previous studies illustrating the association between fast RTs and extreme ratings (Casey & Tryon, 2001; Grant et al, 1994; Kuiper, 1981).…”

“…Both of these hypotheses are largely in line with the findings in other studies demonstrating that fast responses are likely to occur when respondents have a strong self-schema related to the item content (Markus, 1977), which facilitates automated response processing (Akrami et al, 2007; Fazio et al, 1986; Holden et al, 1991). If a respondent has an accessible and strong trait relevant to item content, clear self-knowledge about the trait can lead to high confidence and certainty about the response, and thus, the response can be given more easily and quickly (Arndt et al, 2018; Germeroth et al, 2015; Grant et al, 1994; Hanley, 1965; McIntyre, 2011). At the item level, fast RTs suggest the item was clearly understood and evaluated by the respondent, potentially indicating the item to be a more useful (i.e., discriminating) indicator of the content trait level than a slower item response, which may indicate greater difficulty in item interpretation or evaluation (and thus lower discrimination).…”

Do memory-impaired individuals report stable attitudes?

“…Indeed, stable attitudes are more likely to guide behaviour than unstable attitudes (Glasman & Albarracín, 2006). While much is known about the consequences of stable attitudes, somewhat less is known about their antecedents (see Farc & Sagarin, 2008; Grant, Button, & Noseworthy, 1994; Levitan & Visser, 2009). While research has examined attitudinal, social, and cultural variables that influence stability, the current results can add to the discussion by highlighting that individuals with severely impaired cognitive abilities can nonetheless report stable attitudes.…”

Shall AI moderators be made visible? Perception of accountability and trust in moderation systems on social media platforms

“…For example, too much transparency as to how decisions are made could lead to increases in individuals’ attempts to “game” the system. Some scholars have pointed to ways that moderating algorithms can be “gamed” and moderation can be used to harass and silence certain (often minority) groups online (Diakopoulos, 2015; Munger, 2017; Noble, 2018).…”

“…For the perception of the moderation process, we examine belief certainty referring to users’ confidence around their understanding of how the moderation process works on the site. Certainty is an important dimension of attitudes and beliefs because it influences behavior's stability and durability over time (Bargh et al, 1992; Grant et al, 1994; Gross et al, 1995). People's confidence around the moderation process is likely to be linked to visibility or transparency around the identity of the moderations and explanations for why certain content has been taken down (Grimmelmann, 2015).…”