Testing predictors of attitude strength as determinants of attitude stability and attitude–behaviour relationships: A multi‐behaviour study

Abstract

AbstractThere has been relatively little study of multiple predictors of attitude strength. Eight predictors (attitude certainty; attitude importance; attitude subjective knowledge; moral basis of attitude; attitude elaboration; felt ambivalence; cognitive‐affective potential ambivalence; cognitive‐affective inconsistency) were tested for individual and combined impact on two defining features of attitude strength (attitude temporal stability; attitude–behaviour relationship), in a prospective study over one and two months across six COVID‐19 protection behaviours (N = 477). All eight predictors were individually associated with attitude stability in individual (except elaboration) and simultaneous (except elaboration and potential ambivalence) tests. All eight predictors (except elaboration and potential ambivalence) were significant moderators of attitude–behaviour relationships in individual tests; attitude importance and inconsistency were significant moderators of attitude–behaviour relationships in simultaneous tests (only former remained significant controlling for stability). The findings highlight attitude importance as the strongest predictor of attitude strength reflected in their impact on attitude stability and attitude–behaviour relationships.