Interactive effects of writing and reading a persuasive essay on attitude change and selective exposure

Abstract

Subjects wrote an essay either supporting their own position on an issue or irrelevant to that issue. Subsequently, they received a communication that either supported or opposed their position, and that either claimed to present the only reasonable position or acknowledged the viability of alternative positions. Then, they reported their own beliefs in the position being advocated, and finally were given an opportunity to obtain subsequent information that either supported or opposed this position. Attitude change in the direction of a proattitudinal communication occurred only when both (a) this communication asserted that only the position advocated was defensible and (b) subjects had previously written a proattitudinal essay themselves. Moreover, either of these factors was sufficient to prevent attitude change in the direction of a counterattitudinal communication. Data supported predictions based upon a joint consideration of commitment and reactance effects. Subjects' subsequent preference for supporting over opposing information was greater when they had written a supporting essay than when they had not, greater when they had read an opposing communication than when they had read a supporting one, and greater when the communication they read was presented as stating the only reasonable position, no matter which position it advocated.