The mere perception of elaboration creates attitude certainty: Exploring the thoughtfulness heuristic.
Abstract
Attitude theory has long proposed a mechanism through which antecedents of message elaboration produce attitude strength consequences. However, little direct evidence exists for the intervening process. The proposed thoughtfulness heuristic holds that perceiving that more thought has taken place leads to greater attitude certainty. Two roles were established for this heuristic: first as a mediator of the impact of antecedents of elaboration on attitude certainty and second as a way to influence attitude certainty independent of actual elaboration. In Studies 1 and 2, antecedents of elaboration (need for cognition, distraction) impacted attitude certainty because they impacted the actual amount of processing, which in turn affected perceptions of the amount of processing. In Studies 3 and 4, a manipulation of perceived thought impacted certainty independent of actual thought (i.e., after thinking had already occurred). Furthermore, the thoughtfulness heuristic was shown to influence behavioral intentions, establishing perceived amount of processing as both a mediator and an independent cause of attitude strength consequences.
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Methods to increase certainty include helping people feel knowledgeable about their new attitude and making them feel that their new attitude is the 'moral' one to have.
“Methods to increase certainty include helping people feel knowledgeable about their new attitude 156 and making them feel that their new attitude is the 'moral' one to have 157 .”
From Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response (2020) · cites this paper as [156]
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- Authors
- Barden, J., & Petty, R. E.
- Affiliations
- Howard University (US)
- The Ohio State University (US)
- ORCID
- Petty, Richard E.
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2008-09
- Volume
- 95
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 489-509
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2155109332
- Cited by
- 210
- References
- 73
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 25.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychology of Social Influence
- Keywords
- attitude certainty, attitude strength, message elaboration, need for cognition, distraction, behavioral intention, attitude change
- MeSH terms
- Attention, Attitude, Conflict, Psychological, Culture, Humans, Models, Psychological, Motivation, Persuasive Communication, Problem Solving, Mental Recall, Thinking
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