CHAPTER 8 - Summary of Attitude and Source Change Theories

Abstract

This chapter discusses the summary of attitude and source change theories. The attitude change theories fall in three classes: reinforcement theory, affective consistency theories, and cognitive theories. Reinforcement theories assume that receivers react directly to the emotional content of the message. The cognitive theories assume that it is the logical content of the message that produces change, and affective consistency theory assumes that change is produced when the implied emotional reactions are incompatible. In the attitude change theories, the key assumption is that the receiver's attitude is a response that the source can either reward and reinforce or punish and weaken. When the source delivers a positive message and if the receiver's attitude is also positive, the message-attitude agreement reinforces the attitude and produces positive attitude change. If the receiver's attitude is negative, then the message-attitude disagreement punishes the negative attitude and thus produces positive attitude change. A negative message reinforces a negative attitude, punishes a positive attitude, and thus produces negative attitude change. A neutral message has no reinforcement value and produces no change.