Changing perceptions and reasoning process: Comparison of residents’ pre- and post-event attitudes

Abstract

Upon a systematic assessment of how residents’ trust in government(s) and attachment to a marquee event influence their evaluations of the event’s impacts and subsequent attitudes towards the hosting of the event, this study further explores the dynamic nature of residents’ subjective evaluations and corresponding attitudes to the event. In line with the confirmation bias theory, findings clearly demonstrate that residents’ trust in government(s), attachment to the event, perceptions of the event’s impacts and ultimate support to the event have changed in a predictable manner over time. Moreover, findings indicate that individuals’ direct experience with the event alters the associations between their cognitive/affective evaluations and attitudes towards the event, with a shifted focus to the cognitive evaluations after the event.