Attitude change by tachistoscopic pairings of complex pictorial stimuli : with emphasis on the prevention and assessment of awareness
Date
1976
Authors
Penner, Ronald Steven
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Abstract
A review of the literature on attitude conditioning was carried out, with particular attention given to the demand awareness controversy. Supportive evidence was found for both the demand awareness and classical conditioning interpretations of attitude conditioning effects. It was concluded that one theory by itself is not sufficient to account for the data, and that the primary concern should be with the effects per se that are due to conditioning procedures.
Two experiments were done in order to determine whether attitude conditioning can be extended to complex pictorial stimuli presented at tachistoscopic speeds. Experiment 1 employed weak manipulations (pleasant pairings or neutral pairings) and Experiment 2 utilized stronger manipulations (pleasant pairings or -a combination of neutral and aversive pairings). There were no significant conditioning effects but the results were stronger for Experiment 2, indicating that a stronger pairings manipulation may have strengthened the results. It was concluded that a third experiment providing a stronger pairings manipulation (pleasant pairings or all aversive pairings) might clearly reveal conditioning effects.
Awareness data were also taken in the two experiments. It was found that subjects were more aware of the contingencies and purpose of the experiment in Experiment 2, and it was suggested that this was a result of the strengthened pairings manipulation. Some bogus alternative explanations of the experiment that were provided in a cover story were believed more often than the correct explanation. This was the case for both experiments. Finally, it was found that subjects can be verbally aware of the purpose and contingencies of the experiment without being able to behaviourally pick out the contingencies when shown the stimuli that were conditioned.