Attitudinal Ambivalence Research Articles

What can the study of first impressions tell us about attitudinal ambivalence and paranoia in schizophrenia?

Although social cognition deficits have been associated with schizophrenia, social trait judgments – or first impressions – have rarely been studied. These first impressions, formed immediately after looking at a person's face, have significant social consequences. Eighty-one individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 62 control subjects rated 30 neutral faces on 10 positive or negative traits: attractive, mean, trustworthy, intelligent, dominant, fun, sociable, aggressive, emotionally stable and weird. Compared to controls, patients gave higher ratings for positive traits as well as for negative traits. Patients also demonstrated more ambivalence in their ratings. Patients who were exhibiting paranoid symptoms assigned higher intensity ratings for positive social traits than non-paranoid patients. Social trait ratings were negatively correlated with everyday problem solving skills in patients. Although patients appeared to form impressions of others in a manner similar to controls, they tended to assign higher scores for both positive and negative traits. This may help explain the social deficits observed in schizophrenia: first impressions of higher degree are harder to correct, and ambivalent attitudes may impair the motivation to interact with others. Consistent with research on paranoia and self-esteem, actively-paranoid patients' positive social traits judgments were of higher intensity than non-paranoid patients'.

Affective responses to ambivalence are context-dependent: A facial EMG study on the role of inconsistency and evaluative context in shaping affective responses to ambivalence

It has long been debated whether attitudinal ambivalence elicits negative affect and evidence for such a link is inconclusive. Using facial EMG, we tested the idea that affective responses to ambivalence are dependent on the inconsistency of evaluations in the current situation. In a person perception task, participants were presented with positive (e.g., friendly, intelligent), negative (e.g., jealous, dominant), or positive and negative information (e.g., intelligent, dominant) about different target persons. When participants were only exposed to the information without having to respond, ambivalent information elicited the same affective response as positive stimuli, participants showed more zygomaticus (positive affect) and less corrugator activation (negative affect) than to negative stimuli (task 1). When participants had to make a choice, ambivalent information elicited the same affective response as negative information (task 2). This was qualified by the possibility to resolve the inconsistency between evaluations. Specifically, ambivalence only led to a relative decrease in positive affect when evaluative context did not help resolve the inconsistency between ambivalent evaluations and created a choice conflict (e.g., “Bob is intelligent and dominant. Do you think Bob is a good collaborator?”). When the same ambivalent information (e.g. “Bob is intelligent and dominant”) was presented in a context in which the opposing evaluations were not inconsistent (e.g., “Do you think Bob can write a good research paper?”), participants reported to experience lower levels of conflict and displayed more positive affect (i.e., more zygomaticus activation). The current data contribute to the reconciliation of previously inconclusive results on affective responses to attitudinal ambivalence. The results suggest that ambivalence only leads to relatively more negative affect (i.e., a decrease in positive affect) when ambivalent information is inconsistent in a current situation and thus creates conflict. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Conflicting views on elder care responsibility in Japan

I examine the attitudinal ambivalence created by conflicting social expectations regarding parent-child devotion, filial obligation and family membership, and gender norms in a national population of Japanese adults. I ask: in a context of rapidly changing family and elder care norms, how do different beliefs and attitudes overlap and conflict and how are they related to elder care preferences? I analyze data from the 2006 Japanese General Social Survey and use Latent Class Analysis to identify latent groups in the population defined by their beliefs and examine the relationship between class membership and elder care preferences. I found variation in the population with respect to the measured beliefs as well as a relationship between patterns of beliefs and choice of elder caregiver. I found conflicting expectations regarding elder care responsibility in one latent class and this class also expressed elder care preferences that conflict with at least some of their strongly held beliefs.

Ambivalence and certainty can interact to predict attitude stability over time

The ability of attitudinal ambivalence and certainty to individually predict an attitude's stability over time has received mixed support. We proposed that ambivalence and certainty moderate one another's relationship with temporal attitude stability. That is, we hypothesized an interaction between these two attitude strength variables to predict stability over time. In three studies, we used two-stage designs in which attitudes were assessed twice with an interval ranging from one to twelve months between measurements. Across these longitudinal studies examining different attitude objects, greater certainty was associated with greater stability across different time points as ambivalence decreased, and greater ambivalence was associated with greater instability as attitude certainty increased. Notably, the results held across health-related, social, and real-world political topics.

The interplay of emotions, elaboration, and ambivalence on attitude–behavior consistency

AbstractPrevious research on the relationship between attitudinal ambivalence and behavioral prediction mainly focused on the cognitive perspective. This paper introduces the simultaneous roles played by emotions (positive or negative) and elaboration. We find that both emotions and elaboration could moderate the effect of attitudinal ambivalence on attitude–behavior consistency. Furthermore, positive and negative emotions have different psychological mechanisms: positive emotions influence attitude–behavior consistency directly; negative emotions influence attitude–behavior consistency indirectly through elaboration. This article also discusses the theory contribution, marketing implication, and avenues for future research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ambivalent Attitude of Young People in China Toward Rich Kids: Evidence from Behavioral Indices

A social phenomenon of great interest in China is that of young people who have rich parents, commonly referred to as “rich kids.” These rich kids are both liked and disliked by other young people, leading to contradictions in the behavior of their peers toward the rich kids. We conducted 2 studies to examine the attitude that young people hold toward rich kids from an ambivalent theory perspective. In Study 1, we used a free-thinking task and found that participants were ambivalent, associating both good and bad things with the target phrase “rich kids.” In Study 2, we presented participants with a scenario. Participants showed a more negative evaluation of, and more ambivalent emotions toward, the target they were supposed to meet when they were told that the target was a rich kid. These results showed that the participants' attitudinal ambivalence manifested in their emotion but not in their cognitive evaluation.

The Meaning and Measurement of Responsibility Attributions

This article advances a theory of responsibility attributions in which such judgments are rooted in considerations of intensity and comparability. Informed by insights from the study of attitudinal ambivalence, the article contributes to the attribution literature in three important ways. First, we propose a new technique for measuring responsibility judgments, one that explicitly incorporates information about intensity and comparability into a single scale. Second, from a methodological standpoint, we demonstrate that our new measures of comparative responsibility ratings have greater construct validity than traditional ratings-based measures and outperform them as predictors of political evaluations. More substantively, we show that comparative responsibility ratings are politically consequential and strongly influenced presidential approval, presidential vote choice, and congressional vote choice in the United States during the 2012 elections.

스마트기기에 대한 태도적 양가성, 긍정적 마음과 사용자 만족 간의 관계

지식정보화 시대에 스마트기기의 역할이 더욱 증대되고 있다. 그러나 다른 한편으로 심각한 역기능도 있다. 때문에 스마트기기에 대한 태도나 감정이 다양하다. 이러한 관점에서 본 연구는 스마트기기에 대한 태도적 양가성과 긍정적 마음이 소비자 만족에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 분석하는 데 그 목적이 있다. 연구의 목적을 달성하기 위해 가설을 설정하고, 국내 대학생을 대상으로 조사한 설문자료를 회귀분석 하여 가설을 검증하였다. 분석결과에 따르면 첫째, 태도적 양가성은 소비자 만족에 부정적 영향을 미친다. 둘째, 긍정적 마음은 소비자 만족에 긍정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 시사점은 스마트기기에 대한 소비자 만족의 이해의 폭을 넓히고, 이를 증대하기 위한 방향을 제시하였다는 점이다. Smart devices are playing an increasing important role in today's knowledge society. On the other hand, its adverse effects are creating social problems as well. Thus, users have diverse attitude toward smart devices. In this regard, this study is aimed at examining the impact of attitudinal ambivalence and positive mind for the smart technology on consumer satisfaction. In order to achieve the research objective, we formulated research hypotheses. Then we conducted a questionnaire survey using college students to test hypotheses, and analyzed collected data using regression analysis. The results of our analysis indicated two key findings. First, it was found that attitudinal ambivalence had a negative effect on consumer satisfaction. Second, positive mind was found to have a positive effect on consumer satisfaction. Our findings are expected to make an academic contribution by enhancing our understanding of what leads to consumer satisfaction with smart devices.

Attitudinal Ambivalence as a Protective Factor Against Junk Food Advertisements: A Moderated Mediation Model of Behavioral Intention

This study investigates the role of attitudinal ambivalence in moderating the effects of junk food advertisements on behavioral intentions by tapping different facets of this construct—felt ambivalence, potential ambivalence, and affective-cognitive ambivalence. Results based on an online survey of college students indicate that attention to junk food advertisements has an indirect positive effect on intentions to eat junk food through its positive effect on attitudes toward junk food. A moderated mediation model reveals that this indirect effect of junk food advertisements is weakened as respondents’ levels of felt ambivalence increase. This moderating role is not observed for the measures of potential ambivalence and affective-cognitive ambivalence. Implications are discussed for health interventions.

Ambivalent attitude of young people in China toward rich kids: Evidence from behavioral indices

A social phenomenon of great interest in China is that of young people who have parents, commonly referred to as rich These kids are both liked and disliked by other young people, leading to contradictions in the behavior of their peers toward the kids. We conducted 2 studies to examine the attitude that young people hold toward kids from an ambivalent theory perspective. In Study 1, we used a free-thinking task and found that participants were ambivalent, associating both good and bad things with the target phrase rich In Study 2, we presented participants with a scenario. Participants showed a more negative evaluation of, and more ambivalent emotions toward, the target they were supposed to meet when they were told that the target was a kid. These results showed that the participants' attitudinal ambivalence manifested in their emotion but not in their cognitive evaluation.

I am not prejudiced towards ‘them’. . . I am ambivalent! The moderating roles of attitudinal basis and motivation to respond without prejudice.

According to the Justification-Suppression model of prejudice (Crandall & Eshleman, 2003), people covertly express prejudice through attitudinal ambivalence toward outgroups that is based on beliefs. We predicted that this would only be the case for people who are more externally, but not more internally, motivated to control their prejudice. In line with predictions, across 2 studies, results show that participants (i.e., college students) evaluating the outgroup in a normative context inducing prejudice suppression are (a) more likely to self-report ambivalent beliefs than ambivalent emotions concerning the outgroup compared with participants whose prejudice expression is induced, and (b) they only do so to the extent that they are externally rather than internally motivated to respond without prejudice. This pattern of findings suggests that fear of prejudice-related social sanction rather than dedication to egalitarian individual standards enhances the likelihood to express outgroup ambivalence when prejudice expression is constrained by antiprejudice social norms.

Rush, Rachel, and Rx: Modeling Partisan Media's Influence on Structural Knowledge of Healthcare Policy

Examining the impact of various media sources on knowledge has a long tradition in political communication. Although much of the extant research focuses on the impact of traditional media on factual knowledge, research is expanding to include a variety of media sources and multiple dimensions of knowledge, in addition to understanding processes that better explain these relationships. Using a nationwide, opt-in online survey (n = 993), we examine the relationship between partisan media and structural knowledge, which assess how interconnected people see political concepts. Utilizing understanding of the Affordable Care Act as the content area of interest, we examine whether exposure to partisan media has differential effects on attitudinal ambivalence—holding both positive and negative attitudes toward an object—based on the political ideology of the respondent, and whether this impact of ambivalence influenced structural knowledge. Our results show that exposure to attitude-consistent media decreased attitudinal ambivalence. This exposure to attitude-consistent media results in a positive indirect effect on structural knowledge through this decrease in ambivalence. We find the reverse effect for use of attitude-inconsistent media.

‘Check it out!’ Decision-making of vulnerable groups about participation in a two-stage cardiometabolic health check: A qualitative study

ObjectiveExploring determinants influencing vulnerable groups regarding (non-) participation in the Dutch two-stage cardiometabolic health check, comprising a health risk assessment (HRA) and prevention consultations (PCs) for high-risk individuals. MethodsQualitative study comprising 21 focus groups with non-Western (Surinamese, Turkish, Moroccan) immigrants aged 45–70, adult children from one of these descents, native Dutch with a lower socioeconomic status, and healthcare professionals working with these groups. ResultsReasons for not completing the HRA included (flawed) risk perceptions, health negligence, (health) illiteracy, and language barriers. A face-to-face invitation from a reliable source and community outreach to raise awareness were perceived as facilitating participation. Reasons for not attending the PCs overlapped with completing the HRA but additionally included risk denial, fear about the outcome, its potential consequences (lifestyle changes and medication prescription), and disease-related stigma. ConclusionReasons for not completing the HRA were mainly cognitive, whereas reasons for not attending the PCs were also affective. Practice implicationsWhen designing a two-stage health check, choice of invitation method seems important, as does training healthcare professionals in techniques to effectively handle patients’ (flawed) risk perceptions and attitudinal ambivalence. Focus should be on promoting informed choices by providing accurate information.

Socio-Cognitive Determinants of Consumers’ Support for the Fair Trade Movement

Despite the reasonable explanatory power of existing models of consumers’ ethical decision making, a large part of the process remains unexplained. This article draws on previous research and proposes an integrated model that includes measures of the theory of planned behavior, personal norms, self-identity, neutralization, past experience, and attitudinal ambivalence. We postulate and test a variety of direct and moderating effects in the context of a large scale survey study in London, UK. Overall, the resulting model represents an empirically robust and holistic attempt to identify the most important determinants of consumers’ support for the fair-trade movement. Implications and avenues for further research are discussed.

The impact of attitudinal ambivalence on weight loss decisions: Consequences and mitigating factors

ABSTRACTThis research takes a new look at individuals' attitudes and intentions towards losing weight. Study 1 examines the relationship among those interested in losing weight and individual self‐evaluative ambivalence on attitude towards trying to achieve a weight loss goal and the intentions to achieve the weight loss goal. For Study 2, a between‐subjects experimental design, where attitudinal ambivalence and prior outcome feedback were manipulated and self‐efficacy was measured, is conducted to examine attitude towards eating healthier and intention to change eating behaviours. Findings across the two studies show that attitudinal ambivalence about the self and the individual's abilities and motivation to change the health behaviour produces a negative relationship between health‐related attitudes and intentions. We provide implications of how self‐efficacy and the provision of outcome feedback can alleviate the negative effect and improve the individuals' intentions to try to achieve a weight loss goal. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Persuading People to Eat Less Junk Food: A Cognitive Resource Match Between Attitudinal Ambivalence and Health Message Framing

This study investigated the interactive effects of attitudinal ambivalence and health message framing on persuading people to eat less junk food. Within the heuristic-systematic model of information processing, an attitudinal ambivalence (ambivalent or univalent toward eating junk food) by health message framing (advantage- or disadvantage-framed appeals) between-subjects experiment was conducted to explore a cognitive resource-matching effect and the underlying mediation processes. Ambivalent individuals reported a higher level of cognitive elaboration than univalent individuals did. The disadvantage frame engendered more extensive cognitive elaboration than the advantage frame did. Ambivalent individuals were more persuaded by the disadvantage frame and, for them, cognitive elaboration mediated the persuasion process via the systematic route. Univalent individuals were equally persuaded by the advantage frame and the disadvantage frame and, for them, neither the perceived frame valence nor cognitive elaboration mediated persuasion. Discussion of the null results among the univalent group leads to a response-reinforcement explanation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Wanting other attitudes: Actual–desired attitude discrepancies predict feelings of ambivalence and ambivalence consequences

The experience of attitudinal ambivalence (subjective ambivalence) is important because it predicts key consequences of attitudes (e.g., attitude–behavior correspondence, attitude stability). However, the field's understanding of the antecedents of subjective ambivalence is still developing. We explore an unexamined antecedent of subjective ambivalence. Specifically, we examined discrepancies between participants' actual attitudes and their desired attitudes as antecedents of subjective ambivalence and ambivalence consequences. Six studies using a variety of attitude objects were conducted to test these ideas. The first four studies demonstrated that actual–desired attitude discrepancies predicted subjective ambivalence over its previously documented antecedents. Critically, two additional studies showed that actual–desired attitude discrepancies predicted important consequences of ambivalence. As actual–desired attitude discrepancies increased, participants' attitude–behavior correspondence decreased (Study 5), and desire to reduce attitudinal conflict increased (Study 6). Process data in these latter studies revealed indirect effects through subjective ambivalence that held after controlling for the objective presence of evaluative conflict.

The effects of attitudinal ambivalence on behavioral intention formation

本研究の目的は，子宮頸がん検診の受診を題材とし，態度の両価性が行動意図の形成に及ぼす影響を検討することであった。先行研究では，態度の両価性が，SD法で測定されるような全般的な態度と行動意図との一貫性を低下させることが報告された。従来の研究では，両価的な態度は時間的に不安定であるため，態度と行動意図が一貫しなくなるという説明がなされてきた（不安定仮説）。しかし，先行研究における理論的・方法論的な問題により，不安定仮説の妥当性は明確ではなかった。そこで本研究では，計画的行動理論の諸要因を加えた縦断調査を行い，不安定仮説を検証した。女子大学生を対象とし，子宮頸がん検診の受診に関する調査を実施した。その結果，子宮頸がん検診の受診に対する態度の両価性が低い群では，態度が受診意図を予測したが，態度の両価性が高い群では，態度が受診意図を予測していなかった。しかし，2時点間の全般的な態度の不安定性を検討した結果，態度の両価性が高い方が態度が不安定になるという，不安定仮説を支持する結果は得られなかった。また，態度の両価性が高い群では，主観的規範と行動統制感が受診意図を予測した。これらの結果から，態度の両価性が態度と行動意図との一貫性を低下させる現象について，不安定仮説の限界が示唆された。最後に，不安定仮説以外のメカニズムの可能性と，子宮頸がん検診の受診促進について考察した。

Attitudinal Ambivalence towards Turkey's EU Membership

AbstractThis article takes a comparative political behaviour approach to examine the multifaceted nature of Turkey's European Union (EU) membership bid from the perspective of the EU citizens. We propose a multidimensional explanation for EU citizens' attitude towards Turkey's membership by referring to the political psychology literature on attitudinal ambivalence. We examine whether EU citizens simultaneously hold multiple and conflicting considerations on Turkey's EU accession bid, and whether this ambivalence has attitudinal consequences. To that end, we use the Eurobarometer 66.1 data set to analyze the EU public attitudes on various aspects of possible Turkish EU membership. The findings show that the EU citizens maintain ambivalent views about Turkish membership across three domain pairs: economy–security, immigration–security and population–culture. The significant impact of these ambivalence domains on increasing support for Turkey's membership to the EU is further discussed in the article.

Acceptance and Support of the Australian Carbon Policy

In July 2012, the Australian government instituted the Clean Energy Legislative Package. This policy, commonly known as the carbon policy or carbon tax, holds industries responsible for emissions they release through a carbon price. Because this will have an indirect effect on consumer costs, the policy also includes a compensation package for households indirectly impacted. This study, building upon past work in distributive justice, examines the determinants of the policy’s acceptance and support. We proposed perceived fairness and effectiveness of the policy, and endorsement of free-market ideology, would directly predict policy acceptance. We tested this through an on-line survey of Australian citizens and found that policy acceptance was predicted by perceived fairness and effectiveness. More Australians found the policy acceptable (43 %) than unacceptable (36 %), and many found it neither acceptable nor unacceptable (21 %). In contrast, when asked about support, more Australians tended not to support the policy (53 %) than support it (47 %). Support was predicted by main effects for perceived fairness, effectiveness, free-market ideology, and the interaction between free-market ideology and effectiveness. We conclude by considering some of the implications of our results for the implementation of policies addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation, for theories of social justice and attitudinal ambivalence, and for the continuing integration of research between economics and psychology. Furthermore, we argue for the distinction between policy support and acceptance and discourage the interchangeable use of these terms.