Suppressive Influence of Weak Arguments in Mixed-Quality Messages: An Exploration of Mechanisms via Argument Rating, Pretesting, and Order Effects
Title:
Suppressive Influence of Weak Arguments in Mixed-Quality Messages: An Exploration of Mechanisms via Argument Rating, Pretesting, and Order Effects
Author:
Friedrich, James Smith, Paul
Appeared in:
Basic and applied social psychology
Paging:
Volume 20 (1998) nr. 4 pages 293-304
Year:
1998-12-01
Contents:
Research based on Petty and Cacioppo's (1986a, 1986b) elaboration likelihood model and Chaiken's (1987) heuristic-systematic model has shown that weak arguments can suppress the impact of accompanying stronger ones (Friedrich, Fetherstonhaugh, Casey, & Gallagher, 1996). Two studies investigated whether this occurs through a contextual effect on how stronger arguments are viewed or instead through an independent, negative impact on attitudes. Experiment 1 failed to obtain an argument-quality order effect anticipated by a contextual mechanism; respondents did, however, reject previously held positions in response to a "pure" weak message, consistent with an independent mechanism. Direct ratings of argument quality were also unaffected by message-quality order, further supporting an independent mechanism over a contextual one. Experiment 2 replicated this overall pattern of effects without the use of direct argument ratings, ruling out the possibility of simple sensitization effects. Weak argument suppression was robust in that design features likely to alter people's belief-updating strategies (Einhorn & Hogarth, 1992) failed to eliminate the effect.
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