III. Counter-Attitudinal Behavior

  1. What's a Counter-Attitudinal Behavior?

  2. Method
    1. Recruit college adults to participate in essay-writing procedure
    2. Essay is about Banning Alcoholic Drinks on Campus
    3. Freedom of Behavior and Direction of Essay is Manipulated

  3. Manipulating Freedom
    1. Group A: "Volunteer" to write Counter-Attitudinal Essay (Ban Alcohol)
    2. Group B: "Volunteer" to write Pro-Attitudinal Essay (Keep Alcohol)
    3. Group C: "Forced" to write Counter-Attitudinal Essay (Ban Alcohol)

  4. Measurement
    1. Self reported Attitude Towards Banning Alcohol (1-10)
    2. Physiological Response - SCR

  5. Results

  6. Interpretation
    1. Group A had a problem; "freely" performed C-A Behavior
    2. Group B had no problem; "freely" performed Pro-Attitudinal Behavior
    3. Group C had no problem; external force made me do the C-A Behavior
    4. Dissonance relieved with Attitude Change
    5. Attitude favors the Ban on Alcohol which Reduces Dissonance
    6. Interesting Effect of "Free" Choice

ATT and SCR by Group
Group A
Free C-A		 Group B
Free P-A		 Group C
Forced C-A
Mean ATT 7.4 2.4 2.5
Mean SCR 8.1 4.6 5.5

Interpretation

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Updated March 21, 1996; Copyright © SBB, 1996