Thought, objectivism, and opinion extremity: Individual differences in attitude polarization and attenuation

It was predicted that as the opportunity for thought increased, both the evaluative consistency of attitude-related beliefs and the intensity of attitudes (i.e. affect) would (1) increase for persons high in objectivism and (2) decrease for persons low in objectivism. Participants were classified as either high or low in objectivism. They were given either a brief or ample opportunity to think about descriptions of individuals toward whom they had previously expressed moderately strong attitudes. The results supported all predictions. Additional analyses indicated that attitude change was contingent upon belief change. Alternative explanations for the results are discussed.