Some Specific Factors Affecting Attitude Change

The study investigated the effects of pro and con, one and two-sided messages on receiver attitude change when the Ss were required to either publicly commit themsclves on the issue prior to message reception or were not required to publicly commit themselves. In the public commitment treatment condition, Ss were first required to express in writing their attitude on the chosen topic and give two or three reasons why they held this position, after which they read either a one- or two-sided, pro or con counterattitudinal message. Ss in the no commitment treatment groups merely received the one- or two-sided, pro or con messages without publicly commiting themselves on the issue. After reading the appropriate one- or twosided message, Ss again expressed their attitude toward the issue. The experimental hypothesis tested stipulated that when Ss were not required to commit themselves publicly to an issue, they would change their attitudes toward the topic significantly more than would Ss required to publicly commit themselves. Further, it was hypothesized that this effect would be significantly more pronounced for Ss receiving a one-sided message arguing in favor of the topic than it would for Ss receiving either a one-sided message arguing against the topic or a two-sided, pro or con message. The data confirmed the hypothesis.